Cabot Creamery is recalling 1,700 pounds of butter after testing revealed elevated levels of coliform bacteria, which indicate potential fecal contamination.
The voluntary recall was initiated by Cabot Creamery’s parent company, Agri-Mark Inc, and affected the brand’s 8-ounce Extra Creamy Premium Sea Salted Butter, which was distributed in seven states.
Agri-Mark told Newsweek that it had recovered 99.5% of the product before it reached customers, and there had been no reports of illness or consumer complaints.
Why It Matters
Coliform bacteria are widely distributed in the environment, including soil, water, and animal waste. While not inherently dangerous, their presence in food products suggests potential hygiene lapses during production.
Such lapses increase the likelihood of the presence of more dangerous pathogens, such as E. coli and salmonella.
Both pathogens are the leading causes of foodborne illness in the United States. E. coli can produce severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. In some cases, it can lead to kidney failure, particularly in young children and the elderly.
Salmonella infection is characterized by fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, and in severe cases, hospitalization may be required.
Contaminated dairy products are one of the most common sources of bacterial outbreaks, so early detection and recall are critical for public health.
What to Know
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated the recall on March 26.
The affected products are sold in cardboard containers containing two 4-ounce sticks, with a best-by date of September 9, 2025. They also have the lot number 090925-055 and the UPC code 0 78354 62038 0.
The contaminated butter was distributed to stores in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Arkansas, according to the FDA report.
A total of 189 cases are being withdrawn from the market. According to Agri-Mark, only 17 packages (8.5 pounds) of butter were sold at retail, all in Vermont.
The FDA classified the recall as a Class III risk on Tuesday, indicating that it is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”
States Affected by Butter Recall
What People Are Saying
Dr. Elaine Cloutman-Green, a professor at University College London, told Newsweek that “coliform is a generic term for Gram negative bacteria that are commonly found in the intestine.” Finding them often indicates recent fecal contamination at some point along the production pipeline, possibly from raw ingredients.”
She stated, “Because the term coliform refers to a wide range of organisms, risk assessment can be difficult, as some bacteria are more likely to cause harm than others.”
However, if enough butter is consumed, detection would indicate that the person eating it may develop food poisoning-like symptoms, or if the person was particularly vulnerable due to other conditions, more severe illness, such as blood stream infection.”
Cloutman-Green added that there are likely to be others who eat the butter and are unaffected by the contamination, so there could be a wide “spectrum” of how the product affects a consumer, depending on how much they consume and “how healthy the person was otherwise.”
According to Jeremy Nicholson, a biological chemistry professor at Imperial College London, the amount of butter a person must consume to experience any side effects is determined by “how contaminated it is, the level of pathogenicity of the particular strain or strains involved, how much is consumed, and the susceptibility of the individual.”
Agri-Mark told Newsweek that it has identified the cause and has taken the necessary internal actions to address it. No other products were impacted. Agri-Mark is committed to food safety and quality products, and it constantly monitors its products for compliance.”
What Happens Next
The recall is still ongoing as of April 9. Agri-Mark advised consumers to get in touch via email at info@cabotcreamery.com or call 1-888-792-2268 if they are concerned about the product.
