Cabot Creamery recalls sticks of butter due to bacterial contamination

Sticks of butter from Vermont-based Cabot Creamery have been recalled due to high levels of coliform bacteria — microorganisms found in soil, plants and the digestive tracts of humans and animals.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class III recall was voluntarily initiated by Cabot and affected 189 cases, or 1,701 pounds, of the brand’s 8 oz. “Extra Creamy Premium Butter, Sea Salted.”

The item was distributed to Arkansas, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, according to the FDA.

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It is packaged as two 4 oz. sticks in a cardboard shell and has a UPC code of 0 78354 62038 0, an item number of #2038, and a best-by date of Sept. 9, 2025.

A spokesperson for Cabot told MassLive via email that this was a “very limited, voluntary recall” involving a single lot of its product with the lot code 090925-055.

The Cabot spokesperson added that “99.5% of the product was recovered before reaching customers” and that “only 17 packages” or 8.5 pounds — the equivalent of 34 sticks of butter — were known to have reached retail shelves, all of which happened in Vermont.

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Cabot Creamery’s parent company Agri-Mark Inc. said in a statement that it had “identified the cause [of the problem] and has taken the appropriate internal actions to address it,” adding that “no other products were affected.”

“Agri-Mark is dedicated to food safety and quality products and is always monitoring its products for compliance,” the company said.

Due to the Class III nature of the recall, “it’s not likely to cause adverse health consequences,” the Cabot spokesperson said, adding the issue inciting the recall was “quickly identified and addressed.”

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To date, there have been no reported complaints or illnesses related to the recall, according to Cabot.