Cottage Cheese Recalled Nationwide
A significant FDA recall now affects cottage cheese products distributed across 24 states due to potential contamination concerns. Separately, a CNN investigation revealed that chemicals of unknown safety have been added to the US food supply without FDA or public knowledge, raising transparency concerns about food regulation.
The recalled cottage cheese, sold under Walmart's Great Value brand, was manufactured by Saputo Cheese USA. The recall was initiated after the company discovered that some liquid dairy ingredients may not have been fully pasteurized, a critical process for eliminating harmful bacteria. This specific recall was triggered not by reported illnesses, but during routine equipment troubleshooting exercises conducted by Saputo in conjunction with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. While no illnesses have been linked to the products, incomplete pasteurization can pose a significant health risk, particularly to children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. The incident contributes to a broader trend of increasing food recalls. In 2025, the number of food and beverage recalls rose to 567 from 513 in 2024, with undeclared allergens and foreign materials being major causes. This upward trend highlights growing pressures on complex global supply chains and manufacturing processes. Separate from production errors like pasteurization failures, a recent investigation revealed a systemic issue with how new ingredients enter the food system. An analysis by the Environmental Working Group found at least 111 chemical substances have been added to foods, drinks, and supplements without any review by the FDA. This is possible due to a loophole in the 1958 Food Additives Amendment for ingredients "Generally Recognized As Safe," or GRAS. Originally intended for common substances like vinegar and salt, the loophole is now used by manufacturers to self-certify new chemicals as safe without notifying the FDA, a practice critics call "secret GRAS." Nearly 99% of new food chemicals introduced since the year 2000 have utilized this GRAS loophole, bypassing a formal FDA safety review. This practice came under scrutiny in 2022 when hundreds of people fell ill after consuming a product containing tara flour, an ingredient that was self-determined as GRAS but had not been reviewed by the FDA. The lack of mandatory FDA notification for GRAS substances means the agency and the public are often unaware of what new chemicals are in the food supply until health problems emerge. This has led to calls for reform to close the loophole and increase federal oversight of new ingredients.
