Costco Recalls Over-the-Counter Flu Medication Over Possible Contamination

The Costco logo is displayed on the exterior of a Costco store in Richmond, Calif., on July 11, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Costco announced the recall of an over-the-counter cold and influenza medication sold at its stores because of possible contamination.

In a Jan. 2 advisory, the national retailer stated that Kirkland Signature’s “Severe Cold and Flu Plus Congestion” medication is under recall “out of an abundance of caution” because of the “accidental release and shipment of a specific lot code that was rejected due to potential foreign material contamination.”

Costco did not say whether any illnesses or injuries were reported in connection to the recalled medication. It also did not elaborate on the “foreign material contamination” present in the drugs.

The recalled product, sold between Oct. 30, 2024, and Nov. 30, 2024, has the lot code P140082 on the back of its packaging. It can also be identified with the Costco item number #1729556.

The advisory states that people who have purchased the recalled medicine can return it to a Costco store for a refund and should “not use any remaining product marked with the above lot code.”

LNK International, which made the product, is based in Hauppauge, New York, and according to its LinkedIn page, the company “produces solid and liquid dose, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals for private label programs.”

The product packaging shows that the drug is primarily composed of acetaminophen as well as cough suppressant dextromethorphan, chest congestion reliever guaifenesin, and phenylephrine, which is used to relieve nasal discomfort caused by allergies, hay fever, and colds.

However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed removing products with phenylephrine because it claims that the drug isn’t effective in relieving nasal congestion and related problems.

“For now, companies may continue to market [over-the-counter] monograph drug products containing oral phenylephrine as a nasal decongestant,” the FDA stated in November. “This is a proposed order. Only a final order will affect what products can be marketed. The proposed order is based on effectiveness concerns, not on safety concerns.”

Additional questions or comments can be directed to LNK International, Inc. at 1-800-426-9391 or through email at [email protected].

Egg Recall Ongoing

In late December 2024, Costco announced a separate recall of its Kirkland-branded eggs because of potential salmonella contamination, according to a notice published by the FDA. The FDA classified that recall as Class I, or its most serious type, on Dec. 20, 2024.

The notice states that the recall affects 10,800 cartons of Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs with Universal Product Code 9661910680, sold in 25 Costco stores in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

In a statement, Handsome Brook Farms stated that it issued the recall because “eggs not intended for retail distribution were instead packaged and distributed in retail packaging.”

“Eggs from a positive Salmonella environment were shipped into distribution to retail facilities,” the FDA stated in November.

The federal health agency also warned that a salmonella infection can lead to “fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain,” but in more serious instances, the bacteria can infect the bloodstream and produce “more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.”

A list of Costco’s product recalls can be found on its website.