Miyoko's Recalls Plant-Based Butter Nationwide Over Dangerous E. Coli Contamination

Miyoko’s Creamery just yanked its European Style Salted Plant Milk Butter off shelves across the country. The reason is grim: contamination with yeast, mold, and E. coli. Prosperity Organic Foods, Inc., out of Boise, Idaho, kicked off this voluntary recall on September 11. The FDA made the details public on Friday. They are pulling 1,304 cases in total.

This isn't a minor hiccup. E. coli can trigger life-threatening intestinal infections. The FDA stamped this as a Class II recall. That classification means eating the product could cause temporary health issues or adverse effects that are medically reversible. So far, no one has reported getting sick from this specific batch. Still, health officials want you to stop using it right now. Throw it out. Or take it back to the store for a full refund.

The affected butter ships in a six-piece pack. Each stick is wrapped in wax paper inside a rectangular container. Every pack weighs 8oz (227g). Look for the UPC number 857554005773 on the label. The lot number is 07871. The best by date reads November 5, 2026.

Where did this stuff end up? It reached ten states. Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin all got their share. If you live in one of those places and bought this brand recently, check your fridge.

How does E. coli usually sneak into our lives? It hides in contaminated food and water. Think undercooked meat, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, or leafy greens. The early warning signs are nasty: abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fever. In tougher cases, the diarrhea turns bloody. Dehydration sets in. In rare instances, it kills.

Who is most at risk? Anyone can catch it, sure. But children under five, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest danger. The CDC puts the annual toll in the US at around 357,000 illnesses. Roughly 3,700 people end up in hospitals. Between 30 and 100 die every year.

For most healthy adults, the infection resolves itself in a few days without treatment. But why risk it? The mold and bacteria found in these Miyoko’s Creamery packs are no joke. Check your pantry. If you see that lot number, toss it.

Doctors step in when symptoms linger, prescribing antibiotics to wipe out the infection or hooking a patient up to an intravenous drip to replenish lost fluids. Bread, fruit, and dairy products sit at the top of the list for mold susceptibility, largely due to their high moisture content. The specific species of mold that tainted the butter remains a mystery. Swallowing a tiny bit of mold usually passes without incident. Eating larger amounts tells a different story. Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea often follow. Some molds brew mycotoxins. Aflatoxins are a prime example. These compounds trigger gastrointestinal pain and fever in mild cases. In severe instances, they drive organ failure or spawn certain cancers. Contaminated grains, nuts, and spices frequently harbor these toxins. Precise global totals for mold poisoning cases elude researchers. Estimates suggest mycotoxins claim roughly 250,000 lives worldwide annually. The United States reports about 7,200 deaths linked to mold and yeasts each year. Vulnerable groups face the sharpest risks. Infants, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems suffer the most. Live yeast poses its own hazards. Ingesting large quantities leads to bloating, gas, and stomach pain. The warm environment of the stomach fuels fermentation. Vomiting and diarrhea round out the symptom list. Fatal complications from yeast are rare. Yet, immunocompromised individuals face a distinct danger. They risk serious fungal infections, such as fungal sepsis. Here, yeast invades the bloodstream. The immune system overreacts, attacking healthy organs. These infections stay uncommon. For critically ill patients, however, they prove deadly. Chemotherapy patients or those recovering from organ transplants are especially at risk. Mortality rates for these cases often exceed 30 to 40 percent. Medical records document elderly or severely ill patients developing life-threatening infections. Regular ingestion of live yeast supplements triggered these events.