An urgent recall was issued for a popular butter this week and it has now emerged that it could contain feces.
Vermont-based Cabot Creamery – which churns out more than two billion pounds of butter a year – has voluntarily recalled 1,700 pounds of its Cabot Creamery Extra Creamy Sea Salted Butter Sticks after testing found elevated levels of coliform.
Coliform is as group of bacteria that is not harmful on its own but is usually a sign of hygiene issues, such as a product being contaminated with animal or human feces.
Contamination increases the risk of more dangerous bacteria like E coli and salmonella being present.
According to the FDA, the recall was initiated March 26. The 189 cases of butter were sold in stores in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Arkansas.
Recalled butter sticks had a ‘best by’ date of September 9, 2025. They had the lot number 090925-055 and the UPC 0 78354 62038 0.
No illnesses have been reported.
The FDA gave the recall a Class III designation, which indicates ‘a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.’
About 1,700 pounds of popular butter has been recalled due to potentially being contaminated with dangerous bacteria (stock image)
Pictured above is the Cabot Creamery Extra Creamy Sea Salted Butter Sticks that have been recalled
In response to the recall, a spokesperson for Cabot Creamery told DailyMail: ‘The FDA has classified this as a Class III recall, meaning it’s not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
‘There have been no reports of illness or consumer complaints and the issue was quickly identified and addressed.’
The company also reports that ‘99.5 percent of the product was recovered before reaching consumers’.
Coliform is a large group of bacteria found mostly in human and animal feces, as well as soil and water.
It is also found in unsanitary foods like undercooked meat, raw milk, and produce that has not been properly cleaned.
Coliform are considered ‘indicator organisms,’ meaning they indicate the potential presence of other disease-causing bacteria.
One of the most common culprits is E coli, which causes stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
E coli infection sickens about 95,000 Americans per year and kills around 17 to 20 percent.
Young children and elderly adults are at the greatest risk of dying from E coli due to having naturally weakened immune systems.
Coliform may also indicate the presence of salmonella, which causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the CDC.
Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year.
The Cabot recall is ongoing as of April 9. The FDA did not provide guidance for disposing of contaminated products.
