Costco Sliced Fruit Recall Issued Due to Salmonella Risk

Nearly 60,000 cases of Kirkland sliced fruit, sold exclusively at Costco stores, have been recalled due to a risk that they may be contaminated with salmonella.  

The Kirkland Real Sliced Fruit recall was announced by the FDA on March 13, after Costco initiated precautionary measures due to the potential for the sliced fruit products to be contaminated with salmonella. To date, there are no reported cases of salmonella food poisoning.

The recall includes an estimated 59,780 cases of Costco Sliced Fruit products sold in red and white cases containing 20 pouches of various freeze-dried fruit snacks. The fruits snacks included in the recall have “Best Before Dates” between February 14, 2015- March 11, 2015, which can be located on the packaging in the upper left hand corner.

On March 8, Costco began contacting all known customers through phone and mail to warn them about the risk of salmonella poisoning from the fruit, instructing individuals to bring the products back to the place of purchase for a full refund.

The potentially affected fruit packages were manufactured by Oregon Freeze Dry Inc., of Albany Oregon where they were distributed by Costco to Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico.

Salmonella infections can cause mild to severe health consequences depending upon the individual. The bacteria may cause a healthy person to experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain whereas the young or elderly with weakened immune systems may face more severe consequences, including fatal infections. Occasionally, salmonella infections may travel through the bloodstream and produce illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

The FDA and Costco recommend that customers stop consuming and handling the affected products and return them to their place of purchase. Customers with questions may contact Costco at 1-888-641-2933 or by email at recall@ofd.com.