Costco Had a Peculiar Reason for Removing 80,000 Pounds of Butter From Its Shelves: The Label Didn’t Specify It Contained Milk

Costco confused more than one customer in recent days when news broke that it was removing 80,000 pounds of butter from its stores because the products didn’t specify that they contained milk. The funny part is that butter is made from milk, though based the events, it seems like not everyone may know that.

80.000 pounds of butter. The butter in question was Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter and Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter, both of which totaled 2,200 cases (roughly 80,000 pounds) of butter.

To be clear, the butter was recalled voluntarily by Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest, the company that manufactured the butter, according to the Food and Drug Administration. However, it’s likely that Costco was one of the retailers that sold the butter, which is why you’re seeing mentions of Costco butter all over the place.

The missing label. The FDA cites labeling as the reason for the butter recall, stating that while “butter lists cream, [it] may be missing the Contains Milk statement.” In other words, the product contains an undeclared allergen. There are no indications that there is anything wrong with the product besides not mentioning the presence of milk.

The agency classifies the recall as a “Class II,” which means it considers that exposure to the product could “cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

Milk allergies. In a 2022 study, researchers found that nearly 1 in 20 people in the U.S. have an allergy to cow’s milk, or more than 15 million people. Milk is one of the most common allergies and can result in hives, an upset stomach, vomiting, and bloody stools. In rare cases, it can cause anaphylaxis, which disrupts breathing and can be life-threatening.

Reactions. While milk allergies are obviously serious, some people online questioned the recall, stating that the fact that butter contains milk should be obvious. Butter is made from milk, which is heated to separate it from the cream. The cream is then churned in a vat at a high speed while the buttermilk is removed.

“As someone with serious dietary restrictions I am sympathetic to this issue but I have to say…this is pretty ridiculous. We all know butter contains milk,” a user stated on X.

Image | oatsy40

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