Thousands of cases of popular salad dressings distributed across the United States have been recalled after federal regulators identified the presence of foreign material in certain products, according to a recent enforcement report issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The recall involves products manufactured by California-based Ventura Foods and includes several well-known brands and private-label dressings sold through retail and food service channels.
The recall was first initiated on November 11 after the company discovered that black plastic planting material had been found in granulated onion used as an ingredient in multiple dressing varieties. On December 4, the FDA formally classified the action as a Class II recall, one of three levels used by the agency to assess public health risk. A Class II recall indicates that use or exposure to the affected products could cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, although the probability of serious harm is considered remote.
According to the FDA’s enforcement report, a total of 3,556 cases of salad dressing were affected by the recall. The products were distributed to seven retailers and food court operations across 42 states, including Illinois. While the agency did not publish a complete list of retail locations, the report confirmed that some of the recalled items were sold through Costco, primarily within deli and food service settings.
This recall follows a similar action earlier this year, when Ventura Foods and Costco jointly recalled Caesar salads sold in select Midwest stores due to the possible presence of plastic foreign material in dressing packets. The recurrence of plastic contamination has renewed attention on food safety controls within large-scale ingredient sourcing and processing operations.
The recalled products include Italian Salad Dressing in one-gallon containers, Creamy Poblano Avocado Ranch Dressing and Dip in one-gallon containers, and multiple Caesar dressing varieties packaged for bulk food service use. Also included are Pepper Mill branded Caesar dressings, Costco Service Deli Caesar Dressing, Costco Food Court Caesar Dressing, and Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch in one-gallon containers. Each product is identified by specific stock keeping units and lot codes published by the FDA to assist distributors and food service operators in removing affected inventory from circulation.
The recalled dressings were distributed across numerous states, including Kentucky, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Virginia, Missouri, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Washington, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, North Dakota, and Oregon. Consumers are advised that not all retail sales involved direct consumer packaging, as many of the products were intended for institutional or food service use.
Ventura Foods has not released a public statement providing additional details on corrective actions or production changes related to the recall. The FDA continues to monitor compliance and advises consumers and food service operators to review recall notices carefully, discard affected products, and follow proper food safety guidance. Anyone experiencing adverse health effects after consuming recalled products is encouraged to seek medical advice and report the incident to appropriate health authorities.
