The Biggest Cooking Oil Recalls In US History

Recalls can be initiated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), or voluntarily, by the manufacturer. Even with an established system in place, there have been some very strange recalls over the years (involving everything from a dead bat in bagged salad to lead in apple sauce). In 2024 alone, there were several big recalls that included salmonella-contaminated chocolate and a potential ice cream listeria outbreak.

However, when it comes to cooking oils, recalls often occur when a characteristic of the product is deemed unsafe or misleading, with varying levels of severity. For example, the label could misrepresent the ingredients, triggering allergies, or bacteria could have contaminated the oil. This may sound scary, but recalls ultimately encourage companies to be more careful, prioritizing customers and ensuring the oils are safer for consumption in the long run. On top of that, quality control plays a significant role in the oil industry. This is particularly true of olive oil, a product routinely scrutinized for its authenticity, since its high cost results in manufacturers occasionally cutting corners.

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Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil

In April 2024, Primal Kitchen voluntarily recalled over 2,000 cases of avocado oil. This was deemed necessary after warehouse workers reported oil seeping out into shipping containers, likely as a result of broken bottles. After a prompt investigation, the manufacturer determined that the glass bottles were vulnerable to breakage. A recall was announced shortly after. However, faulty bottles had already been shipped from online purchases and sold in California and Eastern U.S. stores. Consumers were advised to discard the product and contact Primal Kitchen for a refund. Luckily, there were no reported injuries.

Packaging-related recalls are not unheard of in the food industry. Just a few months after the Primal Kitchen incident, Walmart recalled more than 12,000 cartons of Great Value chicken broth due to packaging problems that risked spoilage. As of February 2025, Primal Kitchen has not reported further incidents. Its products continue to be highly rated by various online retailers, indicating that Primal Kitchen took limited losses from the recall, likely in part due to the company’s immediate response and transparency.

Deoleo’s Bertolli And Carapelli Olive Oil

Deoleo USA, the largest global olive oil manufacturer and parent company of Bertolli and Carapelli, experienced two recent notable recalls. These voluntary recalls occurred less than a year apart in November 2015 and March 2016. The first affected Extra Light Tasting and Classico Pure Olive Oil bottles sold in the U.S. between January and May 2015. The recall was initiated after the company discovered premature oxidation in the oils, which could negatively affect its odor and taste. Although the company affirmed that the recall was precautionary, the bottles ran the risk of spoiling before their expiration date.

Deoleo began another non-compulsory recall of its olive oil in March 2016 as a result of safety concerns. Similar to the 2015 incident, the recall affected Deoleo’s Extra Light Tasting and Classico Pure Olive Oil. The olive oils were shown to contain the pesticides Tebuconazole and Trifloxystrobin. Although limited amounts were detected, the United States prohibits their presence in food, as they are considered not safe for human consumption. Deoleo announced the issue stemmed from one of its refining suppliers and took swift action. In both cases, customers could request refunds.

Recalls are not the only controversies Deoleo has faced in recent years. In 2018, Deoleo agreed to a $7 million settlement in a class action lawsuit after it was alleged that Deoleo inaccurately labeled its bottles as “extra virgin” and “Imported from Italy” (via Top Class Actions). Though Deoleo denied wrongdoing, the company chose to settle to avoid ongoing litigation.

Rubino Olive Oil

In 1993, the FDA ordered a recall of olive oil products from Rubino U.S.A. (located in Cincinnati, Ohio) after determining that the labeling of some of its products was falsified. Ten types of olive oil were misrepresented, including Rubino extra virgin olive oil and multiple varieties of Rubino olive and canola oil blends. While some of the higher grade olive oil was believed to be diluted with lower grade blends, Rubino was also accused of taking this a step further and replacing a portion of the olive oil with canola oil. In some cases, gallon cans labeled as 100% pure olive oil had undisclosed canola oil, and blends purported to be a 50/50 mix of olive and canola oil were found to contain more canola oil than their containers indicated.

As a result, over 200,000 Rubino products were recalled nationwide. It wasn’t the last time Rubino got caught up in an olive oil scandal either. In the early 2000s, along with Bertolli and Carapelli, Rubino was accused of labeling its virgin olive oil as “extra virgin olive oil.” This was discovered after multiple panels tested the oils’ acidity. Olive oil scandals continued to run rampant worldwide, with olive oil fraud hitting an all-time high in the European Union at the start of 2024.

Read the original article on Mashed.