Recall: The Great Peanut Butter Betrayal of 2026: Plastic is Not a Flavor Profile

I think we can all agree on one fundamental truth: Peanut butter is the glue that holds our collective sanity together. Whether you’re a smooth operator or a crunchy chaos agent, that jar of golden goodness is a pantry staple. But there is a third, unauthorized texture that nobody asked for, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what the FDA is warning us about this week.

If you’ve been snacking on those little single-serve peanut butter packets lately, you might want to put the spoon down. Ventura Foods LLC has issued a recall because—and I wish I was kidding—there might be blue plastic in your PB.

Yes, plastic. The ultimate forbidden crunch.

Here is everything you need to know about the latest peanut butter recall, broken down for actual humans who just want to eat a sandwich in peace.

The Nitty-Gritty: Why is This Happening?

Back in April 2025, Ventura Foods LLC realized they had a bit of a situation. During production, they discovered that a filter had compromised, potentially shedding pieces of blue plastic into the product.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m looking for fiber in my diet, “polypropylene shards” isn’t exactly what I have in mind.

While the company initiated the voluntary recall last year, the FDA just updated the status on February 12, 2026, slapping a Class II risk level on it. For the non-science nerds out there, a Class II recall means that while the product probably won’t kill you, it could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

Translation: It’s not radioactive, but choking on a piece of industrial plastic is definitely going to ruin your Tuesday.

Is Your Pantry Safe? Checking the Brands

A buffet table with pastries, bagels, and fruit, alongside coffee and tea dispensers. Bright tulips add color, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Continental breakfast, hotel breakfast — Photo by Jill Sauve on Unsplash

Before you go throwing out your giant Costco-sized jars of Jif or Skippy, take a breath. This recall is actually pretty specific. It mostly affects those cute (but now suspicious) single-serving cups and packets. You know, the kind you get at a hotel breakfast buffet, a hospital cafeteria, or in a school lunch.

If you are a fan of pilfering condiments from diners (no judgment here), you need to check your stash.

The Suspects:
The recall impacts roughly 23,435 cases of product. We are looking specifically at:

Creamy Peanut Butter: 0.5 oz, 0.75 oz, and 1.12 oz packets/cups.
Creamy Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly: 2.12 oz cups.
Creamy Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam: 2.12 oz cups.

The Brands:
These aren’t usually the brands you buy at the grocery store for home use, but rather “food service” brands. Keep an eye out for:

Flavor Fresh
House Recipe
Katy’s Kitchen
Poco Pac (This is the big one for the PB&J combos)
Sysco House Recipe

If you run a small cafe, manage a school pantry, or just have a weird habit of buying bulk restaurant supplies, this is your red alert.

The Map of Doom: Impacted States

Usually, recalls are limited to a specific region, but this one decided to go on a nationwide tour. The FDA reports that these products were shipped to 40 states.

If you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, or Wisconsin… congrats, you made the list.

Basically, unless you are in a very specific pocket of the country, just assume the recall applies to your location.

How to Handle the “Forbidden Goo”

Black Labrador with shiny fur looks up with curious brown eyes, head tilted. It stands on light wood floor by white curtains, under soft lighting. — Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Okay, so you dug through the back of the pantry and found a handful of Poco Pac peanut butter cups from that road trip you took last summer. Now what?

The FDA hasn’t issued a complex scientific protocol here because the advice is pretty common sense: Trash it.

Do not try to sift through it to see if you can find the blue plastic. Do not feed it to your dog (vet bills are expensive, and pups have sensitive tummies too). Just toss it. If you are a business owner with cases of this stuff, contact your distributor immediately for a refund or replacement.

Why Does This Keep Happening?

It feels like every time we open a news app, something else is being pulled from the shelves. From salmonella in chia seeds to listeria in frozen salmon, our food supply chain is having a rough year.

While it’s annoying, there is a silver lining here. The fact that we know about the blue plastic means the system is working. Ventura Foods caught the issue with the filter, and the FDA is doing its job by classifying the risk and getting the word out. It’s a hassle, sure, but it’s better than eating a sandwich that fights back.

Stay safe, check your labels, and maybe stick to the big jars for a while until the single-serve world gets its act together.