Food safety concerns are driving a new round of recalls and warnings involving products sold at major retailers and restaurant chains, including pistachio nut butter that may contain salmonella, frozen berries linked to E. coli illnesses, and lettuce associated with a widening cyclospora outbreak.
Health officials are also investigating jalapeños served at Chipotle and other restaurants as a possible source of salmonella cases, while consumers are being urged to check their refrigerators and freezers for recalled eggs, cheese bread and chicken salad.
The latest recall notices also cover more than 1.5 million Ram pickup trucks with potentially unsecured seat belt anchors, nearly 1.8 million attic ladders whose bolts can break, climbing ropes that may fail and almost 12 million bottles of eye drops that may not be sterile.
Sysco, the nation's largest food distributor, is no longer buying lettuce from Mexico amid a widening cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people and has been associated with two deaths in Michigan.
Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican told Reuters that the company is no longer buying iceberg lettuce from Mexico or from Taylor Farms, whose shredded lettuce has been linked to the cycospora outbreak.
"We're not buying iceberg lettuce from them, and we're not buying it from Mexico," Hourican said.
Sysco's decision comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 10,468 laboratory-confirmed, domestically acquired cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1. More than 500 people have been hospitalized.
The agency is reviewing about 12,255 additional cases that have not been laboratory-confirmed or still require further investigation, including many reported by Michigan, where the two deaths were reported.
Federal health officials said Wednesday the cyclopora outbreak tied to recalled Taylor Farms lettuce sourced from Mexico has broadened to six more states, now Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Sysco's decision could affect restaurants, hospitals, schools, stadiums and other institutions that obtain food through Sysco. Hourican said the company has continued meeting customers' lettuce needs, though replacing the volume supplied by Taylor Farms has been a challenge.
Health officials have identified jalapeños served at Chipotle restaurants and other food-service retailers in multiple states as a possible source of a salmonella outbreak.
Chipotle said the jalapeños were distributed to several food-service retailers in multiple states. The company removed them from select restaurants and replaced them with jalapeños from different growers after identifying the ingredient as a possible link among the illnesses. The location of those restaurants was not immediately clear.
Minnesota health officials said they were investigating at least 110 salmonella cases. Of 84 people interviewed, 75 said they had eaten at Chipotle between June 14 and July 14. Others reported eating at a variety of other Mexican-style restaurants.
The Food and Drug Administration began tracing multiple ingredients July 22 after state officials and the CDC identified a cluster of salmonella illnesses. The agency has not confirmed the source of the outbreak and said it would release more information if investigators identify an actionable public-health risk.
Boticelli Foods has recalled one lot of Bettergoods Pistachio Nut Butter sold at Walmart stores in 19 states because of possible salmonella contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The recall covers 6.7-ounce glass jars with UPC 194346207961, lot code LB028ACP04 and an expiration date of Jan. 28, 2027. No other lots are included.
The product was sold at Walmart stores in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wyoming.
No illnesses or injuries had been reported as of the Aug. 3 recall notice. The recall began after routine testing by Florida agriculture officials detected salmonella in three jars purchased at a Walmart store.
Consumers should not eat the recalled nut butter and may return it to the store for a full refund.
Publix has recalled all lots of frozen GreenWise Organic Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries because they may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli that has sickened a dozen people in Florida and Georgia.
The recall, issued July 29, covers 10-ounce and 48-ounce packages shipped to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The products have been unavailable for sale since Publix imposed a stop-sale order in late June, but they could still be in people's freezers.
E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of serious complications.
Here are some other recalls to be aware of:
Louisville Ladder has recalled about 1.77 million attic stairway ladders after receiving 11 reports of bolts breaking, including one incident that caused neck, head and back injuries.
The bolts can break while the ladders are being used, creating a fall hazard that could cause serious injury or death, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The recall covers Louisville, Featherlite, Lite and Century attic stairway ladders equipped with gas struts. The aluminum- or wood-frame ladders fold into the attic, and the brand name and model number are printed inside the attic door.
The ladders were sold at Home Depot, Lowe's, Do It Best, Orgill and other retailers nationwide, as well as Amazon, from November 2012 through July 2026 for $170 to $600.
Consumers should stop using the ladders and register for a free repair kit containing replacement bolts, washers and lock nuts.
Wichard Groupe North America has recalled about 1,050 Courant Spliced Kalimba climbing ropes after receiving three reports that the splices failed, though no injuries have been reported.
The ropes are used for tree climbing and pruning, commonly by arborists. The spliced ends can fail unexpectedly and cause a climber to fall, posing a risk of serious injury or death, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The recall covers certain 45-, 50- and 60-meter ropes in lollipop and bubblegum colors, as well as additional Kalimba ropes spliced under Courant protocols before June 15.
They were sold by Vertical Supply Group, Arbsession, RBI Corporation and retailers nationwide from January 2023 through June 2026 for $250 to $350.
Consumers should immediately stop using the ropes and contact Wichard Groupe North America for a free replacement.
Stellantis is recalling more than 1.5 million Ram 1500 pickup trucks worldwide because second-row seat belt buckle anchors may not have been properly secured during assembly, a problem that spanned eight model years.
The recall covers certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 trucks, including about 1.27 million in the United States, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice.
An improperly attached anchor may not restrain a passenger as intended in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Stellantis said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries connected to the issue.
Dealers will inspect the anchors and secure them properly for free. Stellantis said it is not aware of any crashes or deaths linked to the issue.
Nearly 12 million bottles of Rohto Cooling Eye Drops sold nationwide were recalled because the manufacturer could not ensure they were sterile, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The recall covers eight products with expiration dates from July 2025 through February 2029. The FDA classified it as a Class II recall, meaning the drops could cause temporary or medically reversible health problems. Products included in the recall are The recall includes eight products, among them Rohto ALL-IN-ONE, Max Strength, Optic Glow, Digi Eye, Dry Aid and Cool Relief.
Consumers should stop using the products and discard them or return them for a refund.
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