Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Kroger Cheese and Garlic Croutons recall: Due to potential for Salmonella contamination

Recall published 6 months ago

Due to potential for Salmonella contamination.

Kroger Dairy — recalled dairyKroger Dairy — recalled dairy (photo 2)
2 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Salmonella contamination

This recall is about Salmonella, so the risk is not only in eating the product — it is in everything the package touched on the way to your kitchen.

What the notice says: Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States. It spreads easily from a contaminated product to hands, taps, cloths and other food in the same kitchen.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

The CDC describes salmonellosis as diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps that usually begin between six hours and six days after exposure and last about four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. Children under five, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill. Seek care for diarrhoea with a high fever, bloody stools, vomiting that stops you keeping liquids down, diarrhoea lasting more than three days, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine, a dry mouth or dizziness when standing.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
May 15, 2026
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Kroger
Product type
Dairy
Distribution
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Sold at
Kroger
UPC codes
011110813534
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Cheese and Garlic Croutons

What the company announced

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA – May 15, 2026 — Sugar Foods LLC is recalling certain lots of Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons, 5oz pouches, UPC 0 11110 81353 4 due to the potential for Salmonella contamination associated with milk powder used as an ingredient in the product. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella may experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

The affected milk powder was supplied by California Dairies, Inc. to our seasoning supplier, Solina USA, and incorporated into the seasoning blend that Sugar Foods purchases from Solina USA and applies to the croutons. The affected seasoning batches tested negative for Salmonella prior to use.

This action follows a third-party supplier-initiated recall by California Dairies, Inc. due to concerns regarding potential Salmonella contamination in milk powder. Out of an abundance of caution, and because this milk powder was used in a seasoning ingredient supplied to Sugar Foods, the company is initiating this recall. Sugar Foods is recalling this product based on the ingredient supplier’s recall.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall is limited to specific lots of Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons with the following:

  • PRODUCT: Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons · SIZE: 5 oz · UPC: 0 11110 81353 4 · USE BY DATE: BEST IF USED BY FEB 17 27 BEST IF USED BY FEB 18 27 BEST IF USED BY FEB 27 27 BEST IF USED BY FEB 28 27 BEST IF USED BY MAR 6 27 BEST IF USED BY MAR 9 27 BEST IF USED BY MAR 21 27 BEST IF USED BY APR 1 27 BEST IF USED BY APR 7 27

The products were distributed between March 7, 2026 to April 7, 2026, to Kroger stores located in the following states: AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI & WV.

Consumers who purchased one of the recalled crouton lots listed above may contact Sugar Foods LLC directly at 332-240-6676 for questions or more information 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

This recall is being conducted in coordination with FDA.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 10 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 011110813534

Best-by / use-by date

Printed beside the lot code, not on the price sticker.

  • FEB 18 27
  • FEB 27 27
  • FEB 28 27
  • MAR 6 27
  • MAR 9 27
  • MAR 21 27
  • APR 1 27
  • APR 7 27

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 5 oz

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Salmonella

Kroger — This recall is about Salmonella, so the risk is not only in eating the product — it is in everything the package touched on the way to your kitchen.

  1. Stop eating the product and keep it away from anything ready to eat.
  2. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the pack, and wash any dish, utensil or surface it touched in hot soapy water.
  3. If you repackaged or froze it, check the freezer too. Salmonella is not killed by freezing.
  4. Watch everyone who ate it for about a week, and call a doctor sooner for a child under five or an adult over 65.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Company contact: Sugar Foods, LLC. — Consumers: Sugar Foods LLC, 332-240-6676 — Media: Ms. Krista Locke, 805-396-5000

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Kroger dairy recalled?

Due to potential for Salmonella contamination. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 011110813534; best-by date FEB 18 27 or FEB 27 27. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Stop eating the product and keep it away from anything ready to eat.

Can I get my money back?

Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and others.

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