While a car recall is one notice I never ignore, I can’t ever remember throwing out a single food or beverage, or pet-food product, because of a recall.
Hundreds of food recalls happen each year so they can be hard to keep track of, even though I follow the FDA’s recall notice page and read about recalls every day.
In the case of a current recall, the list of recalled products is so long it would take quite an effort to go through every drawer and cabinet in my kitchen, bathrooms and the “extra” refrigerator in my garage.
Apparently I’m not alone.
A small minority of people actually pay attention to most recalls, which food experts say is a mistake.
“Only 13% of Americans have ever visited a government website for food recall information, and just 3% are subscribed to emails or text alerts,” Behavioral Scientist and Professor at Rutgers University William Hallman said at the May 2025 Food Safety Summit, according to reporting by Food & Wine.
But this latest recall, a widespread warehouse contamination, has prompted the FDA to recall thousands of everyday products. The products include medication and pet food, soft drinks and candy, and all seem unrelated: what they have in common is that they were stored in the same distribution facility in Minnesota.
The new recall affects brand-name products like Tylenol, Aleve, and Advil; candy, including Haribo Gummy Bears, Sour Patch candies, and Twix; beverages such as Welch’s Grape Juice and Coffee Mate, and Purina dog and cat food, among many other categories.
Gold Star Distribution LLC, a wholesale distributor based in Minnesota, issued the recall on December 26, “due to the presence of rodent and avian contamination” at its Minneapolis facility.
The recall was not issued by the manufacturers themselves but applies only to products stored at or distributed through Gold Star’s Minneapolis facility.
“Products held under insanitary conditions may become contaminated through
contact with contaminated surfaces or exposure to airborne particulates associated
with animal waste. Exposure to contaminated products can pose serious health
risks to consumers, including the potential for bacterial contamination, which may
result in illness or infection, including Salmonella,” the announcement says.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that the facility was operating under insanitary conditions, including the presence of rodent excreta, rodent urine and bird droppings in areas where medical devices, drugs, human food, pet food and cosmetic products were held,” according to the official FDA statement.
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