FDA Rates Miyoko's Plant Butter Recall Class II Over E. Coli, Mold and Yeast in 10 States

Shoppers in 10 states should check their refrigerators and freezers for a plant based butter that federal regulators say may carry yeast, mold and E. coli. The Food and Drug Administration lists those three contaminants in its enforcement report for Miyoko's Creamery European Style Salted Plant Milk Butter, and the agency has now given the recall its Class II risk rating.

Prosperity Organic Foods Inc. of Boise, Idaho, the maker of the butter, started the voluntary recall on September 11. The product is made from cashew milk and plant oils and is sold as a dairy free alternative to butter. According to USA Today, the recall began after the Massachusetts supermarket chain Market Basket told customers that yeast levels in the butter did not meet quality standards.

How to identify the recalled butter

The recall covers 8 ounce packages of Miyoko's Creamery European Style Salted Plant Milk Butter with UPC 857554005773. The carton lot code is 07871 and the best by date is November 5, 2026. The butter was shipped in six pack cases weighing 3 pounds. Those shipping cases carry lot number 1007871 and the same best by date. In total, the recall covers 1,304 cases, or 7,824 individual packages.

The butter went to retailers in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wisconsin. Because the product is stored refrigerated or frozen, and because its best by date is still eight days away, packages bought weeks ago may still be sitting in home refrigerators and freezers.

What the Class II rating means

The FDA assigned the Class II classification on October 23. Under the agency's definitions, a Class II recall covers a product that could cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, while the probability of serious harm is considered remote. That rating sits below Class I, the agency's most serious category.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, according to the FDA information cited by USA Today and the New York Post. The rating does not mean the butter is safe to eat. Health.com, reporting the same FDA enforcement report on Wednesday, advised readers to throw the product away or return it.

What shoppers should do

Anyone who bought the butter should not eat it. USA Today reported that consumers should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Shoppers with questions can reach the FDA at 1-888-463-6332.

Symptoms to watch for

E. coli infections can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information cited in the USA Today report. Symptoms can begin several days after exposure. Some strains cause bloody diarrhea and serious complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that can lead to kidney failure. Young children and older adults face a higher risk of severe illness, the CDC says. The New York Post reported that symptoms typically appear three to four days after swallowing the bacteria, and that most adults recover within five to seven days.