The Biggest Food Recalls In Sam's Club History

Tainted meat isn't all that surprising, but applesauce pouches for kids? Let's just say this list of Sam's Club recalls is both varied and shocking. Back in 2011, nearly 55,000 lbs of raw Jenny O Turkey Store Turkey burgers were recalled after 12 customers were infected with salmonella in 10 states. Three of these people were hospitalized. Salmonella is scary by default, but this outbreak proved to be particularly concerning, as the CDC reported that the burgers had tested positive for Salmonella Haydar, a strain that has previously proven resistant to the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. This can make it particularly dangerous for those with already weakened immune systems, increasing the risk of hospitalization and unsuccessful treatment. There are few foods that aren't improved by the salty, silky smooth goodness that is smoked salmon. However, in 2012, Sam's Club shoppers were encouraged to ditch their purchases when a routine lab test on a yet to be distributed shipment of salmon revealed that it was contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria known to cause fever, diarrhea, sickness and even fatal infections in those with vulnerable immune systems. Oh my God. To be extra cautious, the companies responsible for producing the fish, Multi Export Foods and Tampa Bay Fisheries, decided to pull shipments that had already hit shelves. This impacted Sam's Club locations in 42 States and Puerto Rico. The chain requested that customers bring their smoked salmon, which was sold under the brand name Paramount Reserve in November and December of that year, back to the store for a full refund as soon as possible. Fortunately, no illnesses were linked to the recalled products, but it's always better to be safe than sorry. There's a long list of stories about what actually goes into chicken Nuggets, some of them scarily accurate, others creatively false. However, one thing that rarely makes the list is plastic. Except in 2014, when the material did somehow manage to make it into Nuggets stocked on Sam's Club's shelves. Tyson Foods recalled 75,000 lbs of frozen chicken Nuggets in April of that year after receiving complaints that they contained tiny pieces of plastic. It's thought that a faulty product scraper had broken in the blending machine on two production dates, January 26th and February 16th, 2014, which in turn contaminated the Nuggets with an unplanned and potentially dangerous extra ingredient. Unfortunately, several customers had already eaten the Nuggets and suffered minor oral injuries. To avoid more incidents and the risk of legal action, 5 LB bags of Tyson fully cooked white meat chicken Nuggets were recalled at Sam's Club stores nationwide. Tyson also pulled its 20 LB bulk packs of Nuggets that it had shipped for institutional use in Indiana and Arkansas. Plastic isn't the only inedible material you have to worry about ending up in your food. In 2016, nearly 9000 lbs of precooked, vacuum sealed ham was scrapped from Sam's Club stores after a customer found pieces of rubber in their ham. Fletcher's Buying Foods Classic Black Forest brand ham with natural juices was produced by Five O 2 Boundary Blvd. in Washington before being packaged in Ontario, Canada and shipped to Sam's Club stores across the US. According to Fortune. The USDA claimed that anyone who purchased and consumed the meat risked encountering, quote, a health hazard situation where there is a remote possibility of adverse health consequences. This is due in no small part to the number of chemicals used in the production of rubber. As usual, anyone who'd purchased the ham was told to either return it to a Sam's Club store or take the low effort route of just throwing it out. However, in the end, it seems only one customer was unlucky enough to stumble across the rubbery bonus ingredient in their ham. Round beef was at the heart of another deadly outbreak in 2018, when 132,000 lbs of meat were recalled from grocery stores, including Sam's Club, by Cargill Meat Solutions. According to the USDA, the meat presented a risk of E coli contamination, a bacteria most commonly found in raw or undercooked beef that can cause stomach pain, diarrhea and even kidney failure. The meat was linked to at least 17 illnesses and one death between July 5th and July 25th, 2018. Sam's Club stores nationwide were impacted by the recall. Anyone who may have purchased the meat was encouraged to carry out the standard check on their freezer for beef dated June 21st and dispose of any affected products. While healthy adults typically recover from an E coli infection within a week, serious issues are much more likely in very young children and the elderly. Considering the fact you can develop an infection by consuming even a tiny amount of bacteria, the recall was carried out with an understandable amount of urgency. Another day, another panic that your food may contain plastic. In March 2018, it was canned chicken that sparked fears of contamination, with nearly 100,000 lbs recalled from Sam's Club stores after two different customers reported finding hard pieces in their food. If you have this in your pantry right now, throw it out or return it for a refund. The exact product pulled from shelves was the Members Mark Premium Natural Chunk Chicken Breast in Water produced by Tony Downs Food Company in Minnesota. It's believed that the thermally processed chicken was contaminated in late November 2017. Luckily, complaints never escalated any further and no illnesses were reported. A mass recall went down in July 2021 when Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp warned that its muffins may be contaminated with listeria. Sam's Club was just one of several retailers hit by the recall, which affected a whopping 26 products in total, including Uncle Wally's Twin muffins sold at Sam's Club stores nationwide in blueberry, chocolate chip and walnut varieties. Luckily, Give and Go Prepared Foods claimed that no illnesses had been reported as a result of chowing down on the muffins and that the recall was just a precautionary move after the FDA found that the products were very possibly affected by Listeria monocytogens as part of its environmental monitoring program. Anyone who had the muffins stocked in their pantry was advised to dispose of the baked goods as a precaution. With the FDA officially wrapping up its recall not long after, plastic returns to this list yet again, this time for a recall of Member's Mark Holiday macarons that occurred in late 2022. Seasonal flavors of the iconic French cookies such as vanilla, salted caramel, hot chocolate cookies and cream, red velvet, and creme brulee were affected. Around 148,800 units of the cookies were recalled from Sam's Club stores between December 2022 and January 2023. Sublime Desserts triggered the recall after discovering that there was a possibility that they could contain plastic particles. What makes this recall so tricky is the fact that the macarons have such a long shelf life and are supposed to be kept frozen. The macarons affected had sell by dates running all the way through to December 2023, meaning there's always a good chance that some lurked in the depths of Sam's Club's customers freezers and missed the recall notice entirely. Scott, whether you're APB and J addict or a straight from the jar with a spoon kind of person, a jar of peanut butter goes a long way in the kitchen. But only if the jar in question wasn't Jif peanut butter purchased at any Sam's Club or Walmart in mid 2022. In May of that year, over four dozen types of Jif peanut butter products, including Jif Creamy Smooth Peanut Butter and Jif Squeezable Pouches, were recalled by the JM Smucker Company due to potential Salmonella contamination. The CDC reported over 21 confirmed cases of illness and two hospitalizations linked to the outbreak, with around 80% of this number claiming to have eaten Jif before their sickness. Later that month, the recall expanded to other food brands that use JM Smucker produced peanut butter in their products, including Garden Cut, Copland's Chocolate Company, and Mary's Harvest Fresh Foods. Fast forward two years and some customers are still angry about the peanut butter recall. In January 2024, Wayne and Mary Hinkin filed a lawsuit against both JM Smucker Company and Sam's Club. Wayne Hinkin demanded at least $75,000 in damages for negligence and liability, having allegedly contracted salmonella so badly in 2022 that he felt the effects for weeks. Supporting his case is the fact that in early 2023, the FDA reported that testing at JM Smucker's plant in Kentucky had consistently pointed to salmonella for months before the recall. However, this lawsuit was dismissed in April 2024. October 2023 saw a lead scare that impacted not only Sam's Club, but Amazon and Dollar Tree as well. A mass recall occurred after the state of North Carolina conducted an urgent investigation into why several children were experiencing elevated lead levels in their blood, along with headaches, nausea, and fatigue, all potential signs of acute lead poisoning. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services managed to pin down one possible source, which later tested positive for extremely high concentrations of lead. Wannabana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches How many of these applesauce pouches do you think he had eaten? They were a regular part of his diet. Considering the fact that even low levels of lead in the bloodstream can cause irreversible cognitive impairment, it should come as no surprise that the Food and Drug Administration insisted upon a recall of all pouches. Anyone who had previously purchased the Winnabana products was encouraged to return the kid oriented snacks for a refund or exchange, while parents who suspected their children had been exposed to lead via the pouches were told to talk to their doctor about a blood test just in case. By December, there were 64 cases linked to the Winnabana pouches across 27 states, triggering an on site investigation of the manufacturer's factory in Ecuador, making this one of the more dramatic recalls to hit Sam's Club store. The latter part of 2023 was not a good time for Sam's Club. Just a month after the Wanabana fiasco, a deadly listeria outbreak in North Carolina was tracked to fresh Peaches, nectarines and plums sold at Sam's Club and other retailers. By the time the FDA linked the outbreak to the fruits, the affected products, which were produced by HMC Farms, were long gone from the shelves of all retailers. However, a concern was that some customers may have frozen the fruit to use at a later date. The fruit in question spanned 6 varieties, yellow Peaches, white Peaches, yellow nectarines, white nectarines, red plums, and black plums. Well, at least 11 people got sick after eating the stone fruits, one died, and a pregnant victim went into early labor during her sickness. With listeria able to survive freezing temperatures, the CDC not only warned that customers should throw out any affected or potentially affected fruits, but also clean anything else the fruits may have touched. Even pet food isn't off limits from the odd recall. However, this one didn't occur because it made dogs and cats sick. Instead, two flavors of canned members mark dog food produced by Mid America Pet Food, were recalled in November 2023 after seven people were infected with salmonella, beef and brown rice, and salmon and sweet potato. To be precise, with the majority of these seven people being infants, it's thought that the contaminated pet food infected those who touched the floor and pet bulls, or that the infant's caregivers passed it on. By not washing their hands after feeding their dogs, pets can also contract salmonella and act as carriers, passing it on to both other animals and humans. Infants are much more prone to serious infections from salmonella, and one was reportedly hospitalized due to the outbreak. Retailers other than Sam's Club were also hit by this recall, with some having more than two products pulled from their shelves. However, for those who do rely on Sam's Club's members Mark collection to feed their pets, this was likely a pretty scary time. As has become quite obvious throughout this video, the slightest whisper of salmonella is enough to trigger a mass product recall. In January 2024, there were much more than whispers that charcuterie trays sold at Sam's Club contained the dangerous bacteria. The CDC linked the deli meat to sickness among over two dozen customers across 14 states. Wow. Busetto Foods subsequently recalled over 11,000 lbs of the Busetto Foods Charcuterie sampler. An estimated 323 Sam's Club stores in 27 states stopped the deli meat at the time and consequently pulled the trays from shelves. As a precaution, customers were warned not only to throw out all trays with a sell by date of April 27th, 2024, but also clean anything they may have touched with hot water. The CDC theorized that many more people had been infected without realizing it was salmonella, and as numbers continued to grow and ten were hospitalized, it eventually encouraged Sam's Club customers to throw out all trays regardless of their lock code.