The 'Potentially Fatal' Reason Why Costco Just Recalled Its Meatloaf Meal Kit

A major recall has just hit one of Costco's ready-to-eat foods, and it affects over half the country. Costco is recalling its "Kirkland Signature Meatloaf with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes " meal kits after being notified by an ingredient supplier, Griffith Foods Inc., that a meatloaf ingredient could potentially contain Salmonella — bacteria that can cause serious or fatal illness in some people. The item may also be labeled "Meatloaf with Mashed Yukon Potatoes and Glaze."

The affected products were sold in the following 26 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

If you're wondering whether contaminated meatloaf is in your refrigerator, the recalled packages were sold between March 2 and March 13, and have sell-by dates between March 5 and March 16. Look for the date on the label, after the item name but before the ingredient list. Also, look for an item number of 30783. If any recalled product is found, do not eat it and return it to Costco for a full refund.

Recalls are always a serious matter, and Costco has suffered a number of significant ones over the years. Just last year, Costco memorably recalled Kirkland prosecco for an explosive reason, as in, defective bottles were literally exploding on shelves and in refrigerators. Thankfully, this recalled meatloaf is only known to be dangerous if eaten.

But Salmonella has been a persistent thorn in the company's side. One of Costco's biggest Kirkland Signature recalls came in 2024, when over 10,000 packages of organic eggs were recalled from just 25 stores for potential contamination. The scope of the present Salmonella recall suggests it could join this less-than-illustrious list.

Salmonella recalls at Costco have even changed the food industry landscape. A massive 2012 recall of peanut butter at Costco bankrupted the manufacturer, Sunland, Inc. Sunland's peanut butter was also sold at other stores, and the scope of contamination was so severe that the company recalled every single product it made before collapsing. There's no sign of that from Costco or Griffith Foods, but it's a reminder of how bad things can get.