"Are we over-regulating or ensuring safety for everyone?" — Internet reacts to 80,000lb Costco butter being recalled due to no "contains milk" label

In an unprecedented move, Costco has recalled 80,000 pounds of butter from its shelves due to a labelling oversight that has sparked a heated debate over food safety regulations.

On November 11, 2024, American entrepreneur and podcaster Spike Cohen took to his X account to suggest that the multinational American corporation had issued a recall for their butter product due to the absence of a visible "Contains Milk" allergy statement on the packaging.

"80,000 pounds of Costco butter was just recalled, because the label doesn't say that it contains milk. It's butter. News articles are telling people how they can return, or safely dispose of, the butter. It's butter," Cohen wrote.

As a result, the recall has left both consumers and regulatory experts on X questioning whether they are over-regulating the food industry or ensuring the safety of all —

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"Costco just recalled 80,000 lbs of Kirkland Signature butter—reason? Missing 'contains milk' on the label. 🤯 For most, it's obvious, but allergen laws require it. This brings up big Q's: Are we over-regulating or ensuring safety for everyone? #CostcoRecall #FoodSafety #AllergenLabeling #FDA," one commented.

Many users on X expressed their embarrassment over the situation, with several commenting that the level of oversight displayed in this professional context was deeply frustrating —

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"I really wanted this to be fake, or at least one of those "there's more to the story" situations. It's not. It's real. The levels of stupid I've seen in the "professional reporting" on this one... it's embarrassing. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️," one user on X.

"But if the butter is mislabeled, consumers would literally be spreading misinformation—all over their toast, bagels, pancakes, baked potatoes, muffins—it's too horrific to think about," one more commented.

"Dear @Costco I will gladly take all of the recalled butter off your hands for free. I do not have a milk allergy. Plus I know cream is milk," another commented.

However, some users on X responded to the news with humour, viewing it as an opportunity for memes. Many joked that the company is aware that chocolate milk does not come from brown cows, adding a lighthearted twist to the situation —

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"I feel like this was one of those "without the government…" meme opportunities," a netizen on X commented.

"Do they know that chocolate milk isn't from brown cows?" another commented.

"Also known as "I Can't Believe You Didn't Tell Me It's Butter," a netizen commented.

"People when they find out Costco butter is made of milk," one more wrote.

As this issue continues to unfold, Costco's multinational American corporation still needs to reflect on the recall and the reactions online.

Costco recalls nearly 80,000 pounds of butter over missing allergy label

According to a report by Food and Wine on November 8, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall in early October 2024 for Kirkland Signature butter, made by Continental Dairy Facilities Southwest LLC and sold at Costco. The recall affected 79,200 pounds of butter because it did not include an important allergen warning.

While the butter packages list cream as an ingredient, they may not have the "Contains Milk" allergy label on the packaging. This was for both salted and unsalted Kirkland Signature Sweet Cream Butter.

According to Food and Wine, the FDA classified the November 7, 2024 recall as a Class II. This classification indicates a situation where the use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.

Moreover, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the food item "milk" is one of the items that has caused the most allergic reactions in the United States —

"The symptoms and severity of allergic reactions to food can be different between individuals and can also be different for one person over time," the CDC wrote.

In addition, as per Food and Wine, the recalled products were made and distributed in Texas, USA.

The products included about 46,800 pounds of Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter and 32,400 pounds of Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter. They also had a "best by" label from February 22, 2025, to March 29, 2025.

Costco still needs to reflect on the situation.

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