It's reported 25% of American households shop this store's savings—but the USDA has issued a warning on one protein.
Meat Sold at a Major Grocer Nationwide Named a Potential Health Risk
Published on Apr. 22, 2025
With spring sports in full force and end-of-school year events soon knocking, shortcuts to get balanced meals into bellies are likely to be in-demand. Taco night is typically a winner for tons of tastebuds.
Data has suggested that Aldi saves it’s shoppers, who make a reported one-quarter of U.S. population, a reported $8.3 billion each year—but if you’re a loyalist of this budget-friendly chain, you’ll want to check your kitchen for one product that’s triggered a warning.
On Saturday, April 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for pork carnitas products that were distributed to Aldi supermarket locations across the country. According to the announcement, it’s possible the food contains pieces of metal.
The products were produced by Cargill Meat Solutions between April 1 and 2. They were packaged in 16-oz sleeved trays that featured the words “Pork Carnitas SEASONED & SEARED PORK WITH JUICES SLOW COOKED WITH CITRUS.” Either “06/30/2025” or “07/01/2025” is printed on the side of the package as its use-by date. Affected products also have the establishment number “Est. 46049” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Fortunately, as of this writing, there haven’t been any injury reports related to the pork products. Anyone concerned or with questions should contact a healthcare professional.
We’ve seen several food recalls this year due to foreign material. Earlier this month, Wegmans recalled beef products for potentially containing a “white rubber” material, and over 22,000 pounds of meat were recalled from Kroger stores for possible plastic contamination.
Unlike those food items, however, the pork carnitas product event is classified as a public health alert rather than a recall because they are no longer available for sale in stores. However, consumers may have the pork carnitas items stored in their home’s fridge or freezer.
The FSIS instructs consumers not to eat the pork carnitas products. Consumers should instead dispose of the products or return it to the place of purchase.
For further information, one avenue may be to reach out to Cargill via contact details provided in the FSIS link above.
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