FDA Expands Recall of Contaminated Dressings and Sauces

Federal health officials have expanded a recall of thousands of cases of salad dressings and sauces produced by Ventura Foods LLC, warning consumers across more than two dozen states to check deli and food court purchases for potential contamination with black plastic material. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified the recall as Class II on December 4, indicating a low probability of serious adverse health consequences but possible temporary or reversible issues such as injury or choking if ingested.

The contamination stems from black plastic traced to planting material that entered batches of granulated onion used in the products. Ventura Foods initiated the voluntary recall on November 6 after identifying the issue during manufacturing checks. Affected items include a variety of Caesar dressings, buttermilk ranch dips, Italian-style dressings, creamy poblano avocado ranch, mustard-based barbecue sauces, and other condiments. Specific lots impacted feature codes such as B28725 for Publix Deli Carolina-Style Mustard BBQ Sauce, B28025 through B29225 for Costco Service Deli Caesar Dressing, MFG102725H for Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch, and others including Monarch...