Nothing ruins snack time quite like finding out your favorite crackers have been recalled for dangerous contamination. Over the past few years, millions of American households have had to throw out boxes of crackers due to everything from metal fragments to undeclared allergens. These recalls affected popular brands that sit in pantries across the country, proving that even the most trusted snack foods aren’t immune to serious safety issues.
Metal fragments found in oyster crackers
Picture opening a bag of oyster crackers to go with your soup, only to find pieces of stainless steel wire mixed in with your snack. That’s exactly what happened in February 2025 when Shearer’s Foods had to pull over 15,000 cases of oyster crackers from store shelves. The contaminated crackers were sold under popular brand names like Market Pantry, Great Value, and Giant Eagle at major retailers including Walmart and Target.
The metal contamination affected products shipped to 24 states, making it one of the most widespread cracker recalls in recent memory. What makes this particularly scary is that oyster crackers are often given to children with soup, and metal fragments could cause serious internal injuries if swallowed. The FDA classified this as a Class II recall, meaning it could cause temporary health problems but probably wouldn’t kill anyone.
Trader Joe’s multigrain crackers contained metal pieces
Trader Joe’s shoppers got a nasty surprise in August 2023 when the store’s popular Multigrain Crackers with sunflower and flaxseeds were found to contain metal fragments. TreeHouse Foods, the company that makes these crackers for Trader Joe’s, had to recall more than 13,000 cases of the product. That’s nearly 200,000 pounds of crackers that could have seriously hurt someone if they bit down on a piece of metal.
This wasn’t even Trader Joe’s first recall that summer. Just a month earlier, the store had to pull cookies off shelves for containing rocks, and soup for potentially having insects in it. The metal fragments in the crackers were discovered during quality control checks, thankfully before anyone reported getting injured. Still, it’s unsettling to think about munching on what you thought was a healthy snack only to find industrial metal mixed in.
Animal crackers had undeclared coconut allergen
Animal crackers seem like the most innocent snack possible, but in 2022, Publix GreenWise Animal Crackers became dangerous for people with tree nut allergies. The cute animal-shaped crackers contained coconut that wasn’t listed anywhere on the packaging. For someone with a severe coconut allergy, this could have triggered a life-threatening reaction just from eating what they thought was a safe snack.
Toufayan Bakery, which makes these crackers for Publix, blamed the problem on a “temporary breakdown in production and packaging processes.” The contaminated crackers were sold at Publix stores across seven states in the Southeast. What’s particularly frustrating about this recall is that it could have been prevented with better quality control during the manufacturing process. Tree nut allergies can be deadly, making proper labeling absolutely critical.
Vegan cheese crackers actually contained dairy
People who follow vegan diets or have dairy allergies rely on product labels to keep them safe. That’s why the 2022 recall of Back to Nature Cheddalicious Cheese Flavored Crackers was so problematic. These crackers were marketed as completely vegan and dairy-free, but certain batches actually contained both milk and eggs. Someone avoiding dairy for health reasons or ethical beliefs could have unknowingly consumed animal products.
B&G Foods issued the recall after discovering that some boxes of the supposedly vegan crackers contained undeclared allergens that were shipped to 13 states. For people with severe milk allergies, eating these mislabeled crackers could have caused anything from stomach pain to a serious allergic reaction. The company said no one reported getting sick, but issued the recall “out of an abundance of caution.” Still, it raises questions about how such a basic labeling error could happen.
Simple Mills crackers were completely mislabeled
Sometimes recalls happen because of contamination during manufacturing, but other times it’s just a complete packaging mix-up. That’s what happened in 2021 when Simple Mills had to recall their Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers. The problem wasn’t with the crackers themselves, but with what was actually inside the boxes. People buying what they thought were plain sea salt crackers were actually getting Farmhouse Cheddar crackers instead.
This mix-up was discovered when a customer contacted the company to report the error. The mislabeled boxes contained crackers with milk, which wasn’t listed on the sea salt cracker packaging. For someone with a dairy allergy, this could have been a medical emergency. Fortunately, only one person reported mild symptoms from eating the wrong crackers, but the potential for serious harm was definitely there.
Ritz crackers got mixed up during packaging
Ritz crackers are one of America’s most popular snack brands, so when they had a major recall in 2020, it affected households everywhere. The problem started in the packaging facility where workers accidentally put Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers into boxes labeled for Ritz Cheese Cracker Sandwiches. Someone expecting a cheesy snack could have gotten a mouth full of peanut butter instead, which sounds minor until you consider people with peanut allergies.
Mondelēz Global, which owns the Ritz brand, had to recall multiple lots of the mislabeled crackers before anyone got seriously hurt. Peanut allergies can be fatal, so this wasn’t just an inconvenience but a genuine safety issue. Interestingly, the cheese cracker boxes did have fine print saying they “may contain peanuts,” which probably prevented some allergic reactions. Still, people shouldn’t have to read the fine print to know what they’re actually eating.
Cheese Nips contained plastic fragments
Finding plastic in your food is every snacker’s nightmare, but that’s exactly what happened with Cheese Nips in 2019. During the manufacturing process, a yellow dough scraper broke apart and pieces of it got mixed into the cracker dough before baking. The result was boxes of cheesy crackers contaminated with small pieces of food-grade yellow plastic that could cause serious problems if someone bit down on them or swallowed them.
Mondelēz Global spotted the plastic contamination during their own quality checks and issued a recall before anyone reported injuries. The affected crackers came in 11-ounce boxes with expiration dates in May 2020, making them easy to identify. While no one got hurt from eating plastic-filled Cheese Nips, the incident highlights how equipment failures during food production can create serious safety hazards for consumers.
Goldfish crackers faced salmonella contamination
Goldfish crackers are a lunchbox staple for millions of kids, which made the 2018 salmonella scare particularly concerning for parents. Four different varieties of Goldfish crackers had to be recalled because the whey powder used to make them might have been contaminated with salmonella bacteria. The affected varieties included Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar and Flavor Blasted Sour Cream & Onion, along with two other popular types.
Pepperidge Farm discovered the problem when their supplier, Associated Milk Producers, reported that their whey powder might be contaminated. Salmonella poisoning can cause serious illness, especially in young children who are the main consumers of Goldfish crackers. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps that can last for days. While healthy adults usually recover without treatment, children and elderly people can end up hospitalized from salmonella infections.
Trademark dispute forced cracker recall
Most food recalls happen because of safety issues, but sometimes legal problems can pull products off shelves too. In 1998, Nabisco had to recall their Cheese Nips CatDog crackers not because they were dangerous, but because they looked too much like Pepperidge Farm’s trademarked Goldfish crackers. The CatDog crackers were part of a promotional tie-in with the Nickelodeon cartoon show and featured various animal shapes, including fish.
Pepperidge Farm sued Nabisco, claiming the fish-shaped Cheese Nips violated their trademark and could confuse customers. A federal judge agreed and ordered Nabisco to stop making the crackers and recall existing products from stores. This unusual recall shows how competitive the snack food industry can be, with companies willing to go to court over the shape of crackers. The judge also required Pepperidge Farm to post a $3.55 million bond to protect Nabisco against potential losses if the decision was later overturned.
These cracker recalls prove that even the most basic snack foods can pose serious risks to consumers. From metal fragments to deadly allergens, these incidents affected millions of households and highlight the importance of proper food safety measures. Always check recall notices and don’t hesitate to throw out products that might be contaminated – your health is worth more than a box of crackers.
