Thousands of cases of salad dressing and barbecue sauce have been recalled after “foreign objects” were found in some of the ingredients, according to a recent enforcement report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). California-based Ventura Foods initiated the recall of 3,556 cases of salad dressing and 700 cases of BBQ sauce after black plastic planting material was discovered in the granulated onion ingredient used in production.
The recalled products were distributed to seven retail customers across 42 locations in 27 states, including Illinois. Among the products impacted by the recall is the popular Hidden Valley Ranch brand. However, Hidden Valley Ranch representatives emphasized to multiple media outlets that only food service containers made by Ventura Foods—not products sold in retail stores—are affected.
“No Hidden Valley Ranch products sold in stores to consumers are included in the voluntary recall,” a spokesperson told NBC Chicago. “A professional Hidden Valley Original Buttermilk Ranch Dressing & Dip (one-gallon size), intended solely for food service and that was never distributed, was listed in a voluntary recall initiated by Ventura Foods, a third-party partner that manufactures this product.”
It remains unclear which retailers received the affected products. Costco Food Court and Costco Service Deli were listed as recipients of some of the recalled Caesar dressing. Last month, Costco recalled certain Caesar salad products in 34 states after the possible presence of plastic foreign material was discovered in the salad dressing.