Tylenol, Advil, Purina, Haribo face urgent FDA recall
While a car recall is a notification I never ignore, I don’t recall ever throwing away a single food or drink or pet food product because of the recall.
There are hundreds of food recalls every year, so it can be difficult to keep track. FDA’s recall notice page and learn about recalls every day.
In the event of a current recall, the list of recalled products is so long that it would take quite an effort to go through every drawer and cabinet in my kitchen, bathrooms, and my “extra” refrigerator in my garage.
Looks like I’m not alone.
A small minority actually pays attention to most recalls, and food experts say it’s a mistake.
“Only 13% of Americans have visited a government website for food recall information, and only 3% have subscribed to emails or text alerts,” Behavioral Scientist and Professor William Hallman of Rutgers University said at the May 2025 Food Safety Summit. Food and Wine.
But this latest recall, a widespread warehouse contamination, fda To recall thousands of daily products. The products include pharmaceuticals and pet food, soft drinks and candy, and they all seem unrelated: What they all have in common is that they’re stored at the same distribution facility in Minnesota.
The new recall affects brand-name products such as Tylenol, Aleve and Advil; Candies including Haribo Gummy Bears, Sour Patch candies and Twix; beverages like Welch’s Grape Juice and Coffee Mate and Purina dog and cat food, among many other categories.
Gold Star Distribution LLC, a Minnesota-based wholesale distributor, issued the recall on Dec. 26 “due to the presence of rodent and bird 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 kept under unsanitary conditions,
contact with contaminated surfaces or exposure to airborne particles
with animal waste. Exposure to contaminated products can lead to serious health problems
Risks to consumers, including the potential for bacterial contamination
“Can cause illness or infection, including Salmonella.” the announcement says.
According to the official FDA statement, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that the facility was operating under unsanitary conditions, including the presence of rodent feces, rodent urine, and bird droppings in areas where medical devices, medications, human food, pet food, and cosmetics were kept.”
