TreeHouse Foods, the company responsible for producing Walmart’s Great Value chicken broth, recently issued a recall due to an internal procedural error that has since been corrected. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised concerns about potential packaging failures compromising the sterility of the product, leading to spoilage. The recall affects 2,023 cases, with 120 cases per pallet, totaling about 17 pallets and over 12,100 cartons sold in nine states. Tetra Pak, the supplier of the aseptic cartons for the broth, stated they were not aware of any procedural issues specific to their operations and emphasized that a recall has not been issued for their packaging material.
TreeHouse Foods is a major player in the private label food industry, catering to retailers like Walmart, Aldi, Amazon, Costco, Kroger, and Target. The company has faced recalls in the past, including a bone broth recall that impacted sales in 2023. FDA recalls are typically associated with production process issues rather than packaging-related issues. TreeHouse voluntarily initiated the recall of the affected Great Value broth, citing occasional deviations during production as a possible cause for out-of-specification results.
According to George Misko, a senior partner at Keller & Heckman specializing in FDA practices, packaging-related recalls are rare, with the current TreeHouse recall classified as “unclassified” by the FDA. This suggests that the issue does not pose an immediate serious threat to the public. The FDA’s three-tiered recall system categorizes recalls based on the severity of health consequences, with Class One indicating the highest risk and Class Three the lowest.
Food recalls, including those for cosmetics, have been on the rise, with improved traceability and communication leading to increased public awareness. Companies are now more sensitive to food safety concerns, reflecting the growing importance of maintaining high standards in the industry. Despite the recall, TreeHouse Foods and Tetra Pak have emphasized their commitment to food safety and quality, ensuring that necessary measures are taken to address any potential issues in the production process.
