Costco’s freezer section is basically a wonderland of quick meals and easy dinner solutions, but sometimes things don’t go quite as planned. Recent recalls have pulled some pretty popular frozen items off the shelves, and if you’ve got any of these in your freezer right now, you’ll want to know about them. From chicken products contaminated with Listeria to burritos that could make you seriously sick, these recalls are no joke and affect millions of shoppers across the country.
Red’s southwestern mini burritos got yanked for listeria concerns
Red’s Southwestern Grilled Chicken Mini Burritos seemed like the perfect freezer staple until October 2024, when they became part of a massive recall. The problem started with BrucePac, one of their chicken suppliers, which found potential listeria contamination in their poultry products. These little burritos were available at Costco locations throughout the Midwest, and while nobody reported getting sick, the company wasn’t taking any chances. If you check your freezer and find any packages with sell-by dates of 3/27/26, 4/1/26, 4/2/26, or 4/7/26, you need to stop eating them immediately.
The company acted fast and pulled the potentially contaminated burritos from shelves right away. Customers can return the product to any Costco location for a full refund, no questions asked. If you have concerns or want more information about the recall, Red’s set up a hotline at (888) 522-9408 that operates between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time. The good news is that despite the widespread distribution of these burritos, there weren’t any reported illnesses, which shows how quickly the company caught the problem.
El Monterey chicken taquitos were part of a huge meat recall
Those crispy El Monterey chicken taquitos that everyone loves became part of one of the biggest food recalls in recent history. We’re talking about nearly 12 million pounds of meat products that got pulled from stores across the entire country. The same BrucePac chicken issue that affected the burritos also hit these taquitos hard. When routine testing found Listeria on BrucePac products, investigators traced it back to the chicken used in tons of different frozen foods. The company issued a Class I recall, which is the most serious type because eating the product could cause real health problems.
Ruiz Foods, the company behind El Monterey, didn’t waste time pulling its chicken taquitos from distribution centers and store shelves. The recall affected restaurants, schools, and grocery stores nationwide, making it one of the most widespread food safety issues in years. The problem wasn’t with how Ruiz Foods made their taquitos, but with the raw chicken ingredient they bought from their supplier. This shows how one contaminated ingredient can spread through the food system and affect dozens of different products. Anyone who bought these taquitos during the affected time period should check their freezer and either throw them out or return them to Costco.
Krusteaz Belgian waffles disappeared due to factory contamination
Waffles for breakfast sound perfect until you find out they might contain listeria bacteria. Krusteaz Belgian waffles, along with a bunch of other waffle and pancake products from more than 10 different brands, were recalled in the fall of 2024. The manufacturer, TreeHouse Foods Inc., found Listeria at the facility where they make these breakfast items. Even though the bacteria weren’t actually found on the waffles themselves, the company decided to recall them anyway to keep people safe. The recall affected Costco locations in multiple states and even reached into parts of Canada.
Both the FDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency worked with TreeHouse Foods to get the word out about the recall. Shoppers need to check the lot code and expiration date on their waffle packages to see if they’re affected. The good news is that nobody got sick from eating these waffles, which means the recall worked exactly as it should. Companies test their facilities regularly for this exact reason, and when they find something suspicious, they pull products before anyone gets hurt. If you’ve got a box of these waffles sitting in your freezer, don’t risk it.
Kirkland Signature frozen strawberries linked to hepatitis A outbreak
Frozen fruit seems like one of the safest things you could buy, but in March 2023, those big 4-pound bags of Kirkland Signature organic frozen strawberries got recalled because of hepatitis A concerns. California Splendor Inc. issued the recall after health officials connected 10 cases of hepatitis A across four states to organic strawberries imported from Baja California, Mexico. Even though they didn’t find the virus on the strawberries in stores, the company pulled them anyway because people were getting sick. Distribution centers in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Hawaii were all affected.
Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food and water and causes liver inflammation that can make you really sick. The frozen strawberry recall happened fast once officials made the connection between the fruit and the illnesses. If you bought these strawberries during that time, you hopefully heard about the recall through Costco’s notification system. The store takes these situations seriously and tries to contact members who purchased recalled items. This recall shows why it’s important to pay attention to where your food comes from, even when you’re buying from a trusted store brand like Kirkland Signature.
Foster Farms chicken patties contained pieces of hard plastic
Finding plastic in your food is everyone’s worst nightmare, and that’s exactly what happened with Foster Farms frozen chicken patties in August 2022. Costco customers started reporting that they found hard pieces of clear plastic inside their chicken patties, which obviously isn’t supposed to be there. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service jumped on it and recalled 148,000 pounds of these patties. Any packages with a best-by date of August 11, 2023, were affected. The patties had been shipped to Costco distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington.
The recall focused on the danger of people accidentally biting down on sharp plastic pieces and getting hurt. Thankfully, nobody reported any injuries from eating these contaminated chicken patties, but the potential was definitely there. Foreign material contamination like this usually happens somewhere in the manufacturing process when equipment breaks or packaging materials get into the food. Companies are supposed to have systems in place to catch this stuff before it reaches customers, but sometimes things slip through. If you still have any of these old patties in your freezer from 2022, it’s definitely time to clean out your freezer.
Pescanova shrimp street tacos had large plastic chunks inside
Pescanova makes a bunch of frozen seafood products that Costco shoppers love, including these shrimp street tacos with corn, poblano, and chipotle sauce. But in 2023, the company had to recall them because its quality assurance department found large pieces of plastic measuring up to 5 millimeters inside the product. That’s big enough to see and definitely big enough to cause problems if you accidentally eat it. The company acted quickly to get these tacos off the shelves and warned customers to either throw them away or bring them back to Costco for their money back.
No injuries were reported from the plastic contamination, which is lucky considering how many packages had already been sold. The shrimp street tacos aren’t even listed on Costco’s website anymore, which might mean they decided not to bring them back after the recall. This is another example of foreign material getting into food during manufacturing, and it shows why companies have quality control departments testing their products. When they find something wrong, they’re supposed to issue a recall immediately, which is exactly what Pescanova did.
Chocolate chunk cookie dough recalled over salmonella risk
Who doesn’t love fresh-baked cookies? But in May 2024, Costco’s chocolate chunk cookie dough got hit with a Class II recall because of potential salmonella contamination. The FDA recalled almost 30 cases of this cookie dough across 21 states, including big ones like California, Florida, New York, and Colorado. A Class II recall means there’s a small chance of getting sick, but it’s still serious enough that you shouldn’t eat the product. Salmonella usually comes from raw eggs, poultry, or meat, and it’s one of the most common types of food poisoning out there.
Nobody got sick from the cookie dough, which is great news. Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever, nausea, and stomach cramps that usually go away on their own after a few days. Some people need antibiotics if their symptoms get really bad or if they’re in a high-risk group like young kids or elderly folks. This recall reminds us that raw cookie dough can be risky to eat, even when it looks and smells perfectly fine. The bacteria you can’t see are the ones that cause problems, which is why these recalls happen even when there aren’t any reported illnesses yet.
Nestle drumsticks pulled over equipment contamination concerns
Ice cream seems like the last thing that would get recalled, but in 2016, Nestlé had to pull its popular Drumsticks from Costco shelves. The company found positive listeria results on equipment at one of its facilities in Bakersfield, California. Even though they didn’t find any Listeria actually on the ice cream cones themselves, Nestlé decided to recall them anyway as a precaution. They pulled both the 16-count Variety Pack and the 24-count Vanilla Pack from Costco stores immediately. Better safe than sorry, right?
Nestle told customers they could throw away the affected ice cream products, return them to where they bought them, or contact the company directly for a replacement. This type of voluntary recall shows that food companies take contamination seriously, even when they’re not absolutely certain there’s a problem. Equipment contamination can spread bacteria to products even if the ingredients themselves are fine. Regular testing of manufacturing equipment is exactly how companies catch these issues before they become major health problems. The recall affected stores nationwide but was resolved quickly once the equipment was cleaned and retested.
What to do if you bought any of these recalled products
Finding out you have recalled food in your freezer can be pretty unsettling, but handling it is actually straightforward. First, check the specific dates and lot numbers mentioned in the recall notices because not every single package of a product gets recalled. If your package matches the recalled batch, don’t eat it even if it looks and smells fine. Bacteria and contaminants aren’t things you can see or smell, so you can’t tell if food is contaminated just by looking at it. Put the product in a sealed bag before throwing it in the trash so nobody else accidentally eats it.
Costco makes returns super easy, and recalled items are no exception. You can bring the product back to any Costco location for a full refund, and you don’t even need your receipt because they can look up your purchase in their system. If you threw the product away already, you can still usually get a refund by explaining the situation to customer service. Many companies also set up special phone lines during recalls, where you can ask questions or request refunds directly. It’s worth signing up for recall alerts through the FDA or USDA websites so you hear about these issues as soon as they happen.
Food recalls happen more often than most people realize, but that’s actually a good thing because it means the safety systems are working. Companies test their products and facilities constantly, and when they find something concerning, they act fast to protect customers. While it’s annoying to lose food you already paid for, getting a refund beats getting sick any day. Keep an eye on the news and check your freezer regularly against recall lists, especially if you buy a lot of frozen foods. Costco does a good job notifying members about recalls, but staying informed yourself gives you an extra layer of protection for you and your family.
