Supermarkets Across US Issue Cream Cheese Recall

An Aldi supermarket is seen in Pflugerville, Texas, on Aug. 17, 2023. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Supermarkets across the United States, including Aldi and Hy-Vee, have recalled multiple cream cheese products due to the risk of potential salmonella contamination and are warning customers to throw the impacted items out immediately.

The German discount supermarket chain announced the recall in a May 9 notice, adding that the products were being removed from its stores “out of an abundance of caution.”

That recall impacts select products made by Green Bay, Wisconsin-headquartered dairy company Schreiber Foods, Inc.

According to Aldi, they are as follows: Happy Farms Whipped Cream Cheese Spread, Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread, Cream Cheese Spread, and Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread products.

The recalled cream cheeses can be identified by the UPS codes and dates below:

• Whipped cream cheese spread with UPC code 4099100101881, and sell by dates of 08/30/2024, 08/31/2024, 09/01/2024, 09/03/2024 and 09/04/2024;
• Chive & onion cream cheese spread with UPC code 4099100101751 and sell by dates of 09/13/2024 and 09/22/2024;
• Cream cheese spread with UPC code 4099100101737 and sell by dates of 09/01/2024, 09/08/2024 and 09/15/2024;
• Strawberry cream cheese spread with UPC code 4099100101744 and sell by dates of 09/08/2024 and 09/15/2024.

The items subject to the recall were sold at Aldi stores across 28 states and the District of Columbia, the company said.

They include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Customers Should Throw Items Out

While Aldi said the affected products are being recalled due to potential salmonella contamination, the supermarket chain did not state if there have been any reported illnesses linked to the recalled cream cheese products. It also did not state exactly when or how the potential contamination was first detected.

“Aldi puts the safety and integrity of the products it sells first,” the company said. “If customers have products affected by this recall, they are advised to discard it immediately or return it to their local store for a full refund.”

“Aldi sincerely regrets the inconvenience and concern caused as a result of this recall,” the company added.

The Epoch Times has contacted representatives for Aldi and Schreiber Foods for further comment.

Aldi’s recall comes shortly after Des Moines, Iowa-based grocery store Hy-Vee said it was voluntarily recalling two varieties of its Hy-Vee Cream Cheese Spread, also out of “an abundance of caution” due to the potential contamination with Salmonella.

More Cream Cheese Recalls

In a May 6 notice with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Hy-Vee said it was also recalling its bulk-packaged Cookies & Cream Mix for the same reason.

Those items are manufactured at different third-party facilities around the Midwest, and are sold under HyVee’s private label and bulk packaging programs.

They were distributed to Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Drugstore, and Dollar Fresh Market locations, as well as Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh convenience stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, the company said.

Hy-Vee said it was notified by the manufacturers regarding the potential issue but that there had so far been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of any of the recalled products.

Like Aldi, Hy-Vee urged customers to throw out the products or return them to the store for a refund.

Elsewhere, Schnucks, a supermarket chain based in the St. Louis area of Missouri, recalled three of its cheese spreads earlier this month, citing possible Salmonella contamination.

Minnesota-based supermarket chain Hornbacher’s also recalled one of its cream cheese spreads this month due to possible Salmonella contamination, with the company noting the recalled items were also produced by Schreiber Foods, Inc.

That recall impacts Essential Everyday Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread, with the recalled product containing the UPC code 41303006252 and a best-by-date of Sept. 1, 2024, according to the company.

Health Risks

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of people and animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Individuals can contract salmonella in a number of ways, including through consuming contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, or touching animals that are infected, although salmonella is killed when it is cooked.

Symptoms of salmonella infection typically begin within six hours to six days and can last four to seven days, although some individuals may not display symptoms until several weeks after infection.

Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, although in some cases it can cause severe disease, particularly in children under the age of 5, infants who are not breastfed, pregnant women, adults aged 65 and older, and those with a weakened immune system.

While most people recover without the need for any specific treatment, antibiotics are typically used in severe cases.

The CDC estimates that salmonella causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States every year.