Costco is known for great deals and bulk items that save money, but sometimes things go wrong. Recent recalls and quality issues have sent shoppers rushing back to stores with their purchases, demanding refunds and answers. From contaminated fish to questionable chicken and moldy dairy products, several items have caused serious concern among members who trust the warehouse giant with their weekly shopping. The recalls affected millions of products across multiple states, and some of the problems involved life-threatening bacteria that nobody wants in their kitchen.
Tuna poke contaminated with deadly bacteria
In September 2025, Costco issued an urgent recall for Kirkland Signature Ahi Tuna Wasabi Poke across 33 states after discovering Listeria contamination. The Western United Fish Company recalled over 3,300 pounds of the ready-to-eat product when green onions used in the poke tested positive for the dangerous bacteria. Shoppers who grabbed this popular deli item with the sell-by date of September 22, 2025, were told to immediately throw it away or return it for a full refund. The clear plastic clamshell packages were distributed to stores from Alabama to Wisconsin, affecting millions of potential customers.
Listeria infections can cause fever, diarrhea, stiffness, and nausea, but the real danger comes for pregnant women, elderly people, young children, and anyone with a weakened immune system. The bacteria can trigger miscarriages, stillbirths, and even death in severe cases. At the time of the recall announcement, no illnesses had been reported, but the FDA classified it as a serious health hazard. The fish company worked with their green onion supplier to figure out where the contamination originated, but shoppers were left wondering how safe their other Costco purchases really were.
Rotisserie chicken raises salmonella concerns
The famous $4.99 rotisserie chicken that draws people into Costco became controversial after a study by Farm Forward found dangerous salmonella levels. This non-profit organization tested chickens from Lincoln Premium Poultry, the supplier for Costco’s birds, and discovered contamination rates far above federal safety limits. The findings came at a bad time since the USDA had just rolled back poultry safety reforms in 2025 that were supposed to protect consumers from these exact problems. Despite selling 100 million chickens annually from their Nebraska facility, quality control apparently wasn’t keeping up with quantity.
Salmonella causes serious food poisoning with symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting that can last for days. The bacteria spreads easily through undercooked or improperly handled poultry, and cross-contamination in kitchens puts entire families at risk. Lincoln Premium Poultry responded by saying they treat safety as an utmost concern, but the study’s results told a different story. Previous investigations also revealed overcrowded conditions at their facilities where birds suffered visible injuries. Shoppers who considered the cheap chicken a weekly staple started questioning whether the bargain price was worth the potential health risks.
Fresh produce arrives already moldy
Getting home from Costco to find that berries are already fuzzy with mold or apples are rotting inside has become a common complaint among shoppers. Fresh produce returns top the list of items brought back to customer service desks because the large quantities often start spoiling before families can use them all. Watermelons, zucchini, squash, and pea pods frequently hide rot that isn’t visible until you cut them open at home. The bulk packaging means buying smaller amounts isn’t an option, so people gamble on whether their household can consume everything before it goes bad.
A 2019 berry recall sent over 70 people to the hospital due to Hepatitis A contamination, proving that produce problems go beyond simple spoilage. Customers share stories on social media about opening packages to find hidden mold on items that looked fine in the store. The expiration dates sometimes approach too quickly, giving shoppers only a few days to use pounds of produce. Checking items carefully before purchase helps, but many defects hide beneath top layers or inside thick rinds. Costco’s satisfaction guarantee means returns are accepted, but nobody wants to make an extra trip back to the warehouse just to swap out bad vegetables.
Dairy products spoil before expiration dates
Milk that sours days before the date on the carton and cheese covered in unexpected mold make dairy products another frequently returned category at Costco. Shoppers report opening gallons of milk to find they’ve already gone bad despite having weeks left until expiration. Greek yogurt recalls in 2023 and 2024 affected thousands of containers, with one massive recall involving undisclosed eggs that posed allergy risks and another for visible mold growth. Leaking containers create even more problems since bacteria can enter through punctures, making the products unsafe to consume.
Unsealed packaging raises red flags about whether products stayed fresh during shipping and storage. When customers discover that safety seals are broken or missing, they rightfully worry about contamination and tampering. Some Costco employees suggest photographing leaking milk cartons before dumping them out, so you have proof when requesting a refund without hauling a gallon of spoiled dairy back through the store. While many shoppers praise Costco milk for lasting well beyond printed dates, enough people experience early spoilage that dairy returns remain consistently high. The bulk sizes that make dairy products economical also mean more waste when something goes wrong.
Nuts taste rancid or contain bugs
Costco sells half the world’s cashews, so it’s almost inevitable that some bad batches slip through quality control. Customers complain about receiving burned pistachios, overly dry pecans, and walnuts that taste bitter or rancid. Walnuts cause particular problems since they oxidize quickly and turn darker when they’ve gone bad. The high oil content in nuts means they spoil faster than people realize, especially when stored improperly or sitting on shelves too long. Opening a container to find nuts that smell off or taste stale defeats the purpose of buying in bulk.
Even worse than bad-tasting nuts are the reports of worms and insect evidence in almonds, mixed nuts, and cashews. Nobody expects to find living creatures or their remnants in food products, but it happens often enough that shoppers share warnings online. Overcooked nuts lose their appeal quickly with unpleasant textures and burnt flavors that make them inedible. While buying nuts with shells offers better protection elsewhere, Costco typically sells pre-shelled varieties for convenience. The large containers mean committing to several pounds of nuts, so discovering quality problems after opening becomes an expensive disappointment that sends people back to customer service.
Kirkland protein bars taste terrible
Trying new protein bars at Costco feels risky because boxes contain 20 or more bars, and getting stuck with a flavor you hate means choking down awful snacks for weeks. The Kirkland brand protein bars rank among the worst according to taste tests, with chalky textures and flavors that miss the mark completely. Protein bars already walk a fine line between nutrition and palatability, but some Costco varieties cross into nearly inedible territory. Shoppers who buy a box hoping for convenient snacks end up returning them after forcing down one or two bars and deciding they can’t stomach the rest.
Unlike spoiled produce or contaminated fish, protein bars aren’t returned because something went wrong during production or shipping. People simply don’t like them and realize that eating 18 more bars would be torture. Costco’s return policy technically allows these returns, though some employees and fellow shoppers consider it wasteful to return food just because it doesn’t taste good. The texture often resembles cardboard or rubber, and artificial sweeteners leave unpleasant aftertastes that linger. Other brands available at Costco score better in taste tests, but shoppers sometimes gamble on trying Kirkland’s cheaper option first, only to learn that saving money isn’t worth suffering through bad-tasting bars.
Beverages recalled over bottle shattering risks
Costco recalled one million bottles of a popular beverage after discovering that the containers posed a shattering risk. Glass bottles breaking unexpectedly create dangerous situations with sharp shards that can cause serious injuries. The recall affected products distributed across multiple states, and customers were urged to check their purchases and return any bottles from affected lots. Physical safety concerns with packaging represent a different type of product failure that doesn’t involve contamination or spoilage but still puts consumers at risk.
Defective bottles might break during normal handling, while opening, or even sitting untouched on shelves. The risk of cuts from broken glass makes these products particularly hazardous around children or in busy kitchens where accidents happen easily. Costco’s rapid response to the safety issue showed they take packaging defects seriously, but shoppers who already purchased the bottles faced the hassle of returns and finding replacement beverages. Manufacturing problems with bottles demonstrate how recalls extend beyond food safety to include packaging integrity. The million-bottle scope meant countless customers needed to check their pantries and make return trips to warehouses.
People buy more than they can use
Sometimes items get returned to Costco not because anything is wrong with them, but because shoppers overestimated how much they’d actually consume. The warehouse model encourages bulk buying with lower per-unit prices, but those deals only save money if you use everything before it expires. Families buy giant containers of mayonnaise or mustard that sit in refrigerators for months, or bulk spices that lose potency long before the containers empty. The temptation to stock up on great deals leads to pantries full of items that eventually need to be tossed or returned.
Perishable items create the biggest problems when people buy more than their households can reasonably eat. A family of two doesn’t need the same quantities as a family of six, but Costco doesn’t offer smaller portions. Returns of perfectly good food because someone miscalculated their needs raise ethical questions about waste, though Costco’s generous return policy technically allows it. The company accepts most returns without arguing, but unopened items have better chances of being restocked than opened packages. Learning to accurately estimate your consumption takes time, and new Costco members often make enthusiastic purchases they later regret, leading to awkward returns of items that simply weren’t needed.
How to avoid needing returns
Carefully examining products before purchase helps prevent many return trips to Costco. Check expiration dates to ensure you have enough time to use items, especially for perishables like produce and dairy. Look for visible signs of damage, mold, or spoilage by inspecting items from multiple angles and checking beneath top layers when possible. Sealed packages should have intact seals without punctures or tears that might allow contamination. Taking an extra minute in the store saves the hassle of discovering problems after getting everything home.
Being realistic about how much your household will actually consume prevents overbuying and waste. Start with smaller quantities of new products instead of committing to bulk sizes until you know you like them. Store items properly at home according to package directions, keeping nuts in cool places and refrigerating dairy promptly. Stay informed about recalls by checking Costco’s website and FDA announcements, especially for items you recently purchased. While Costco’s return policy provides a safety net, avoiding problems in the first place makes shopping easier and reduces food waste. Most issues stem from spoilage, contamination, or simply buying too much rather than inherent product defects.
Costco recalls affect millions of shoppers when contamination or safety issues emerge, but the company’s generous return policy helps members get refunds quickly. Staying alert to recall announcements and checking products carefully before purchase reduces your chances of bringing home dangerous or spoiled items. Whether it’s bacteria-laden fish, questionable chicken, or simply nuts that taste bad, knowing which items cause frequent returns helps you shop smarter and avoid unnecessary trips back to the customer service desk.
