8 Of The Biggest Frozen Food Recalls That Completely Shook Costco

Costco's frozen aisles extend far and wide and provide almost anything you need for a quick, at-home meal: from proteins, fruits, vegetables, and desserts to ready-to-eat meal kits and pre-cooked frozen appetizers shoppers rave over, Costco is nothing if not diverse in its frozen product options. Occasionally, however, a product will be recalled and removed from the shelves to protect consumer health and safety. Companies issue recalls on items for a variety of reasons, including bacteria contamination, foreign material contamination, improper packaging or labeling, and almost anything else that might pose a risk to human health.

Fortunately, health risks are typically identified quickly in routine testing, and many recalls are issued as a precaution to ensure that consumers do not fall ill. When this happens, customers are encouraged to check their freezer for products with specific expiration dates and either throw them away or return them for a refund. From 10 million pounds of chicken recalled due to plastic shards to various waffles and pancakes removed over listeria concerns, these are eight of the biggest frozen food recalls that have impacted Costco.

Costco offers a variety of frozen chicken products that make for quick, easy, and inexpensive meals, including patties from Foster Farms. However, 148,000 pounds of these classic frozen chicken patties were recalled in August 2022 for the possible presence of foreign materials that could be harmful to consumers.

Costco customers reported finding hard pieces of clear plastic within the chicken patties to the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FSIS announced the recall of all Foster Farms chicken patties with a best-by date of August 11, 2023. The products of concern were shipped to Costco distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington. Customers were urged to check their freezers and dispose of the product to avoid potential injury by sharp pieces of plastic. Fortunately, there were no reports of customer injuries.

Costco's store brand, Kirkland Signature, has plenty of popular products, from vodka and coffee to eggs and the fan-favorite $4.99 rotisserie chicken. However, on March 16, 2023, California Splendor Inc. recalled some organic frozen strawberries that were sold under the Kirkland Signature brand across various Costco locations.

According to the FDA, the 4-pound bags of frozen organic strawberries were recalled due to rising concern about a string of hepatitis A illnesses. The outbreak involved 10 cases of illness reported across four states and experts linked them to organic strawberries imported from Baja California, Mexico. While there was no sign of hepatitis A on the product itself, the company recalled the strawberries to be cautious and prevent the spread of illness. Hepatitis A is a liver infection that causes inflammation and is most often spread through contaminated food and water. Distribution centers in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Hawaii were impacted by the recall.

Costco sells a wide range of frozen prepared seafood, including some from Pescanova, a seafood producer that farms and processes its own products. The company is well-known for its shrimp and ready-to-eat meals, including frozen shrimp street tacos with corn, poblano, and chipotle sauce. However, in 2023, Pescanova issued a recall of its frozen shrimp street taco mix due to the potential presence of a foreign material in the product.

Pescanova's quality assurance department confirmed that the foreign material in question was large pieces of plastic that measured up to 5 millimeters in size, posing a safety concern. Customers were urged to either discard the product or return it to Costco for a full refund. Thankfully, no injuries were reported as a result of the plastic in the product; however, the tacos are no longer listed on Costco's site.

It's difficult to recreate authentic chicken taquitos at home, but Ruiz Foods produces a frozen version that consumers love for its excellent flavor and crispness. However, in 2024, the El Monterey chicken taquitos were part of a massive Class I recall that involved 11,765,285 pounds of meat products. This type of recall is issued when consumption or exposure to a product is likely to cause adverse health effects.

During routine testing, listeria was found on BrucePac products and an investigation revealed that chicken was the source of the outbreak. Unfortunately, the chicken products in question had been shipped to various distributors nationwide, including restaurants, schools, and grocery stores — Costco included. Ruiz Foods recalled its chicken taquitos along with a few other products that had the potentially contaminated chicken in them. 

The listeria recall in 2024 involving more than 10 million pounds of chicken products from the Oklahoma meat and poultry producer Brucepac impacted more than 20 major retailers and a wide variety of products. One such product was Red's southwestern mini frozen burritos. These quick-cook appetizers used grilled chicken that was produced by the company, leading it to be removed from Costco shelves over concerns of foodborne illness.

Exposure to listeria can cause mild to severe symptoms, most commonly in the elderly, immune-compromised, and pregnant women. Out of caution, the FSIS recommended that consumers check their freezers and either dispose of or return the products to avoid any illnesses related to the listeria bacteria. Thankfully, there were no reports of illness related to the burritos, and the product was returned to the shelves, but it will go down in history as one of the food recalls that will always haunt Costco.

As far as quick and easy breakfast products go, waffles are a standout in the frozen aisle. In the fall of 2024, however, there was a recall that impacted various waffle and pancake products carried by more than 10 brands, including Krusteaz, which is known for its restaurant-style frozen waffles. The Krusteaz Belgian waffles were wiped from Costco shelves across multiple states and some parts of Canada. 

The manufacturer of these and many other private-label pancake and waffle brands, TreeHouse Foods Inc., issued a voluntary recall when listeria was found at the facility where the products were produced. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) worked with the company to report the recall and guide consumers on what to do with the potentially contaminated products. Thankfully, no illnesses were reported, but the company encouraged customers to review the lot code and expiration date on their product to identify if it was part of the recall.

In May of 2024, the FDA assigned a Class II recall to almost 30 cases of Costco's chocolate chunk cookie dough due to potential salmonella contamination. A Class II recall is used when there is a remote possibility of illness or health effects related to the bacteria. There were 21 states around the country that were impacted by the cookie dough recall, including California, Florida, New York, and Colorado, although thankfully no illnesses were reported. 

The salmonella bacteria is often spread to humans through contaminated food or water and usually develops from raw eggs, poultry, or meat. Salmonella is one of the more common types of food poisoning, with side effects such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, and stomach cramps. While symptoms typically dissipate on their own within a few days, some extreme cases or higher-risk people may be prescribed antibiotics.

Food companies will occasionally issue voluntary recalls of products if there is bacteria contamination at the facility or on the equipment used to make food items. These recalls are issued out of caution to prevent any spread of illness related to harmful bacteria. The beloved chocolate producer, Nestle, issued a voluntary recall of its popular Drumsticks in 2016 after identifying positive listeria results on equipment in one of its facilities in Bakersfield, California. 

While there were no positive results of listeria on the product itself, the company recalled a few varieties of its famous ice cream cones to be safe. Costco removed the 16-count Variety Pack and 24-count Vanilla Pack of drumsticks from its shelves immediately. Nestle instructed consumers to throw away the impacted product, return it to the place of purchase, or contact the company for a replacement product.