Details on what you should do if you have one of these products

Costco, Kroger, Kia, black pepper, and baby formula all make the top recalls of the week

Here are details on what you should do if you have one of these products:

Its an unusually big week in the recall world. Several well-known companies and retailers announced product recalls last week due to potential safety hazards for consumers.

Leading the way are several recalls related to cheese. For one, Costco has recalled several Tillamook cheese products after discovering gray and black plastic pieces in some items. The recall specifically impacts 32-ounce twin-pack packages of Tillamook Colby Jack and Monterey Jack cheese slices with a best-by date of October 22, 2024, distributed to Costco locations in the Northwest region of the U.S..

Tillamook initiated the recall out of caution, noting that the presence of plastic is minimal and those who have consumed the cheese without issues need not take further action. If you still have that cheese in your fridge, youre advised to return the cheese to their local Costco for a full refund. For more information, customers can contact Tillamook at 855-562-3568.

On another cheesy front, Schreiber Foods Inc. has recalled over 830,000 units of cream cheese products across 19 states because of potential salmonella contamination. According to TopClassActions, the affected brands include these versions or private labels:

• Dutch Farms

• Fareway

• Happy Farms

• Hy-Vee

• Kroger

• Our Family

• Schnuck

• Essential Everyday

• Dunkin

• Piggly Wiggly, and

• Schreiber Foods

The cream cheese in question was distributed in California, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, as well as Puerto Rico.

Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported, but still, consumers are advised to dispose of or return the affected cream cheese for a refund. You can find specific information on product codes here to verify if the cream cheese you purchased is or is not involved, here.

Salmonella's a problem

Salmonella concerns have also plagued Grande Cheese Company, which has recalled 1.7 million pounds of whey and dairy products.

The recalled products were distributed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachessuets, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. It was distributed outside the U.S. in Canada, Ecuador and Japan.

The last cheese-related recall is the smallest of the bunch. Moore Family Cheese LLC of Maquoketa, IA is recalling Moore Family Farms and Creamery Cheddar Cheese Curds because of high coliform and generic E. coli count. FoodSafetyNews says recalled products were distributed in Iowa, but nowhere else.

Infant formula

Since an infant death that seemed to have its beginnings with Abbott Labs not to mention new finger-pointing at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for being slow to react to a whistleblower complaint about the issue infant formula recalls have been plentiful.

The newest recall in that category comes from Dairy Manufacturers, which has updated itsrecall for Crecelac infant formula after a sample tested positive for cronobacter spp., a bacterium that can cause severe infections like sepsis and meningitis.

The FDA says the specific versions of the formula are:

• CRECELAC INFANT Powdered Goat-Milk Infant Formula with Iron 0 to 12 months - Net Wt. 12.4 oz (352g)

• Farmalac BABY Powdered Infant Formula with Iron 0 to 12 months Net Wt. 12.4 oz (352g)

• Farmalac BABY Powdered Infant Formula with Iron Low Lactose 0 to 12 months Net Wt. 12.4 oz (352g)

Products are being sold at some retail stores in Texas and, possibly, additional locations in the U.S. All with expiration dates between August and September 2025. However, no injuries have been reported, yet.

Ground black pepper

TopClassActions also reports a nationwide recall for Baraka Ground Black Pepper, distributed by UBC Food Distributors and, again, the concern being raised is salmonella. The caution flag the FDA is waving regarding salmonella in this situation is that the organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

This recall affects 7-ounce plastic containers with an expiration date of January 2026 and UPC 8 22514 26626 6. It is recommended that consumers return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. No illnesses have been reported.

Good Earth recalls more than a million rechargeable lights

After a fatality, Good Earth Lighting has recalled over 1.2 million of its rechargeable integrated lights. The reason? The recalled lights battery can overheat and ignite the lights plastic housing, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. And the fatality? It came from a house fire where another person was also treated for smoke inhalation. Additionally, there have been nine other reports of overheating, with six leading to fires and property damage.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says the recalled lights were sold at Lowes, Ace Hardware, Meijer, and Menards, and online at Goodearthlighting.com, Amazon.com, Lowes.com and QVC from October 2017 through January 2024 for about $20 for the single unit and about $35 for the bundle.

Consumers should immediately stop using the lights and contact Good Earth Lighting to receive a free replacement light of at least equal value to the purchase price of the recalled light, including shipping at no charge, the CPSC urges (sorry, no refund, though).

You can contact Good Earth Lighting at 800-291-8838 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or online at https://goodearthlighting.com/productrecall or https://goodearthlighting.com and click on the Product Recall link for more information.

And, then, theres Kia again!

Kia is back in the recall lane, again. So far this year, by ConsumerAffairs' count, the automaker has recalled somewhere around 700,000 vehicles. Now, Kia America has issued a park outside recall for 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles because the vehicles can catch fire both when theyre in motion or even when theyre parked.

And no ones safe, either drivers, passengers, anyone in one the of burning properties may be injured in the event of a fire. The automaker is advising owners to park their vehicles outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair has been completed, the Kia recall notice states.

Kia has already received multiple customer complaints of under-seat smoking and overheating, one recall report shows, TopClassActions Jessy Edwards said. In one case, a complaint involved a 2023 MY Telluride in which the owner reported that the driver seat caught on fire while driving. Kia noted that no injuries were reported in that case.

To fix the issue, Kia is doing the right thing and providing a free repair by installing a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replacing the seat slide knobs. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.