Ventura Foods Peanut Butter Recall, Blue Plastic Found in 22,000+ Products Here’s What to Check

Quick Facts

• Recall initiated: April 30, 2025, by DYMA Brands / Ventura Foods LLC
• FDA classification: Class II — assigned February 12, 2026
• Products affected: 22,000+ single-serve peanut butter packets and peanut butter-and-jelly cups
• Contamination: Blue plastic fragments discovered in a production filter
• Brands affected: US Foods, DYMA Brands, Flavor Fresh, Sysco House Recipe, Katy’s Kitchen, Gordon Food Service, Poco Pac
• States affected: 40 states across the U.S.
• Sold through: Restaurants, schools, hospitals, and institutional food service — not retail grocery stores
• Health risk level: Class II — temporary or reversible health effects possible; life-threatening risk is considered remote
• Injuries reported: None confirmed as of February 2026
• FDA Event ID: 96817
• Recall status: Active — no termination date set

What You Need to Know

The FDA has classified a Ventura Foods peanut butter recall as Class II after blue plastic pieces were found in a production filter during manufacturing. More than 22,000 single-serve peanut butter products were distributed across 40 states under multiple brand names. These products were sold to food service distributors — not retail grocery stores — so they were most likely served to you in a restaurant, cafeteria, school, or hospital. No injuries have been reported, but the recall remains active and affected products should be removed from use immediately.

What Is the Ventura Foods Peanut Butter Recall About?

The recall was originally initiated in April 2025 by Ventura Foods LLC after the company discovered pieces of blue plastic in a filter during production. That contamination meant plastic fragments could have ended up inside the finished single-serve peanut butter products that shipped to distributors across the country.

The recall was initiated on April 30, 2025, and the FDA assigned the Class II classification on February 12, 2026. The roughly ten-month gap between when Ventura Foods pulled the product and when the FDA officially classified the recall is not unusual — the FDA’s hazard assessment process is separate from a company’s voluntary recall action, and the two timelines run independently.

The contamination was uncovered when production staff at Ventura Foods found pieces of blue plastic lodged in a filter during routine manufacturing checks, which prompted the company to voluntarily pull the affected products from distribution.

Importantly, this recall has nothing to do with salmonella, bacteria, or allergens. It is a physical contamination issue — foreign material in the form of plastic — which is classified differently by the FDA and carries a lower overall risk level than pathogen-based recalls.

Which Products Are Affected?

The affected products include both peanut butter packets and small cups containing both peanut butter and jelly, and were sold to distributors mostly under private-label brands.

The FDA said these products were sold under private-label brands including US Foods, DYMA Brands, Flavor Fresh, Sysco House Recipe, Katy’s Kitchen, and Gordon Food Service.

The numbers detailed in FDA listings include 17,115 cases of 0.75-ounce packs, 4,496 cases of 0.5-ounce packs, and 516 cases of 1.12-ounce packs among those affected.

A critical distinction most consumers miss: A spokesperson for Ventura Foods LLC confirmed that the single-serve peanut butter products were not sold directly to consumers, but rather provided to restaurants or retailers to be offered to consumers as a complementary condiment. This means you are unlikely to find these products in standard grocery stores like Kroger, Walmart, or Target. The jars of Jif or Skippy in your pantry are not affected. The products in question are the small single-serve plastic cups or foil packets typically served alongside toast at a diner, included on a hospital meal tray, or placed in a school lunch.

To verify whether a specific product is affected, check the lot codes printed on the packaging against the FDA’s official recall listing under Event ID 96817 at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts.

What Does “Class II” Mean for Your Health?

The FDA divides recalls into three categories based on the health risk they pose. Understanding which category applies here is important before drawing conclusions about your risk.

The FDA designated this recall as Class II, meaning the contaminated products could cause temporary illness but are unlikely to result in serious or life-threatening health problems.

In plain terms: if you consumed one of these products, swallowing a small piece of plastic could cause mouth irritation, throat discomfort, digestive discomfort, or minor internal injury in rare cases. These effects are generally temporary and reversible. They are very different from the types of risks associated with Class I recalls, which involve products that could cause serious harm or death.

As of the time of reporting, no injuries or illnesses have been reported in connection with this recall. Ventura Foods says it acted immediately when the problem was first identified, urging all customers and distributors to pull the product before the FDA’s formal classification process concluded.

If you believe you consumed an affected product and experienced any symptoms, report your experience to the FDA’s MedWatch program at fda.gov/safety/medwatch and consult your healthcare provider.

Who Distributed These Products?

Some of the affected products were distributed by DYMA Brands, Inc., US Foods, Sysco Corporation, Gordon Food Service, and Independent Marketing Alliance, among others, according to FDA listings.

These are wholesale and institutional food distributors — the companies that supply restaurants, hotel chains, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and cafeterias across the country. If you regularly eat at a sit-down restaurant, grab breakfast at a hotel, eat in a school cafeteria, or receive meals in a healthcare setting, you may have encountered one of these single-serve packets without ever knowing which manufacturer produced it.

Food service operators that received these products should cross-reference their inventory against the FDA recall database immediately and cease distribution of any matching items.

What Ventura Foods Said

Ventura Foods issued a public statement directly addressing the timeline between the voluntary recall and the FDA’s formal classification. The company said it “acted with urgency to remove all potentially impacted product from the marketplace” at the time the recall was initiated on April 30, 2025, and noted that the FDA investigation and classification process “can take time to complete” but that the timeline “did not impact our actions.” The company emphasized it urged customers, distributors, and retailers to immediately review inventory and stop further sale and distribution of the affected products.

A Ventura Foods spokesperson stated that protecting consumers remains the company’s top priority and pledged to “continue to act swiftly and transparently as the FDA review progresses.”

Do You Have Legal Rights?

The recall itself does not open a class action lawsuit or settlement fund. However, consumers who experienced documented physical harm from consuming a contaminated product may have grounds to pursue a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

Product liability law holds food manufacturers responsible for maintaining safe production conditions and implementing quality controls to prevent contamination. When a physical contaminant like plastic enters a finished food product, that product may be considered defective under consumer protection law.

If you suffered a documented injury — such as a mouth or throat laceration, dental damage, or a gastrointestinal issue requiring medical care — and can link it to one of the affected products, you should preserve your medical records, any remaining packaging, and your purchase records, then consult a product liability attorney. Most offer free consultations.

For consumers who ate the product but experienced no symptoms, no legal claim currently exists. No class action has been filed over this recall as of February 2026.

For a broader look at how food contamination cases move through the legal system, our coverage of the Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salmonella Class Action Filed February 2026 provides useful context on how contamination allegations translate into legal claims. If you are researching your rights after consuming a recalled food product, our article on the Jocko Protein Powder Contamination Lawsuit covers the legal framework for food contamination class actions in detail.

What Should You Do Right Now?

If you are a consumer: Check whether you recently received a single-serve peanut butter packet or PB&J cup in a restaurant, cafeteria, school, or healthcare setting. If you have any remaining packets, check the lot codes against the FDA’s recall database at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts using Event ID 96817. Do not consume any matching products. Discard them immediately.

If you experienced symptoms after consuming a peanut butter product from a food service setting, contact your healthcare provider and report the experience to the FDA’s MedWatch program.

If you work in food service: If you are a food service operator, restaurant manager, school nutrition director, or healthcare facility procurement officer, immediately audit your inventory of single-serve peanut butter products against the FDA’s lot code list. Consumers and institutions should check their pantries immediately and discard any affected items.

Contact your distributor directly to confirm whether your inventory includes any of the recalled items and request documentation of their own recall compliance.

To stay informed: Sign up for FDA food safety recall alerts at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts. The recall remains active with no termination date, which means the FDA is still monitoring whether all affected products have been removed from the supply chain.

Key Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ventura Foods peanut butter recall about? 

Ventura Foods voluntarily recalled more than 22,000 single-serve peanut butter products after blue plastic pieces were found in a production filter. The FDA classified the recall as Class II in February 2026, indicating a possible risk of temporary harm but a low risk of serious injury.

Which brands are affected by the recall? 

The recall covers products distributed under several private-label brand names: US Foods, DYMA Brands, Flavor Fresh, Sysco House Recipe, Katy’s Kitchen, Gordon Food Service, and Poco Pac. These are institutional food service brands, not retail grocery brands like Jif or Skippy.

Can I find the recalled peanut butter at a grocery store? 

No. These single-serve products were distributed exclusively through food service channels — restaurants, schools, hospitals, cafeterias, and similar institutions. Standard retail jars of peanut butter sold in grocery stores are not affected.

What does a Class II recall mean? 

A Class II recall means the FDA has determined that consuming the product could cause temporary or medically reversible harm, but that the probability of serious or life-threatening consequences is remote. It is a lower risk level than a Class I recall.

Has anyone been injured by the recalled products? 

No confirmed injuries or illnesses had been reported as of February 28, 2026, according to available FDA and company information.

Why did it take so long for the FDA to classify this recall?

 The FDA’s hazard assessment and recall classification process runs independently from a company’s voluntary recall actions. Ventura Foods initiated the recall in April 2025; the FDA completed its assessment and issued the Class II classification in February 2026. This delay does not mean the company waited to act.

What should I do if I think I ate a recalled product? 

If you experienced symptoms, contact your healthcare provider and report the incident to the FDA’s MedWatch program. If you have remaining packaging, check the lot codes against the FDA’s recall database using Event ID 96817.

Is there a class action lawsuit or settlement related to this recall?

 No class action lawsuit or settlement exists as of February 2026. Consumers who experienced documented physical injuries may wish to consult a product liability attorney about their individual options.

Last Updated: February 28, 2026

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For questions regarding this recall or potential legal action, consult official FDA records at fda.gov or a qualified attorney. Information in this article is current as of the last update date and may change as the recall proceeds.

About the Author

Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
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