Check Your Nuts And Sausage, What To Know About Nationwide Recall

These days, food recalls are just a part of life. When food is made in big batches, sometimes it gets contaminated despite all the precautions many companies take. The CDC estimates that around 38.4 million cases of foodborne illness in the U.S. each year, mostly due to unspecified causes.

Two major recalls took place this week. One involves Great Value Nuts sold at Walmart locations in 30 states. The other is Johnsonville Sausages sold nationwide being recalled over contamination.

A notice posted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), letting consumers know that Wisconsin-based Salm Partners was pulling Johnsonville Polish Kielbasa turkey sausages from shelves. The move affects around 35,430 pounds of products sold by retailers nationwide.

According to officials, the affected items are 12-ounce vacuum packages containing a single piece of sausage. The best-by dates "05/17/24" and "05/18/24" and the facility number "P-32009" are printed on the side of the packages.

The agency said it received customer complaints about finding small pieces of rubber in the turkey sausages. Fortunately, there are no reports yet of any injuries or "adverse health" outcomes due to someone eating the contaminated product.

While the recall is ongoing, FSIS says it remains concerned that some of the items might still be in shoppers' refrigerators or freezers. Officials urge anyone who may have bought the recalled product not to consume it. They insist consumers throw it away or return it to its place of purchase. Anyone who believes they may have been injured or become ill from eating the sausages should also contact a healthcare provider immediately.

According to a notice posted by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), John B. Sanfilippo & Sons, Inc (JBSS) issued a voluntary recall of Great Value 8.25-oz. Honey Roasted Cashews. They said the product may contain unknown milk and coconut allergens.

The company told consumers to avoid eating nuts from such containers if they have a "best by" date of July 8, 2025, and a UPC of 078742133348, because of the allergen concern.

A "limited number" of plastic cans containing coconut cashews received labels for honey-roasted cashews during the manufacturing process, according to the company’s announcement.

The recalled products haven't resulted in any "adverse" reactions yet. The FDA allergy alert warned people "who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to coconut or milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product from the impacted best if used by date" identified by the company.

Additionally, consumers may have purchased the affected Great Value honey roasted cashews through Walmart’s website. The nut containers also went to certain Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia, according to the notice.

A new Consumer Reports study has ranked the riskiest foods. They analyzed data from the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture between 2017 and 2022. Their researchers focused on "widely consumed foods" that had recalls over a specific duration of time.

According to Consumers Reports, the CDC estimates that 48 million people each year fall ill from salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other bacteria or viruses in food. They said most recover on their own after a few days. But about 130,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses yearly.

Some of the foods that are ranked at the top of the list include bagged salads, poultry products, and deli meats. The top five are leafy greens, deli cheese and meat, ground beef, onions, and poultry. Bagged salads and other leafy greens ranked number one on the list. They found 50 different recalls linked to them since 2017. Also, it has the most caused deaths. Last on the list at number ten is flour. Unlike leafy greens, flour has had zero total deaths.

"We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely," says Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, who led the analysis. "After all, these foods are all usually safe, and many of them are in fact important parts of a healthy diet." Ronholm continued to say in Consumers Report that the list underscores the "importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track, and respond, to food recalls when they happen." Read the entire list, and learn how you can reduce your risk at Consumer Reports.