Chowder lovers (of both the Manhattan and New England variety) beware: Your accompanying oyster crackers may be contaminated with metal pieces. On February 21, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall for oyster crackers produced by Shearer’s Foods LLC. The crackers were sold under several brand names. As of March 11, 2025, the FDA has updated its recall, categorizing it as Class II. According to the L.A. County Department of Public Health, Class II means that the issue has “… a lower chance of causing major injuries or death, but where there is still the possibility of serious enough adverse events to have irreversible consequences.” So it’s certainly nothing to scoff at, though it isn’t at the highest risk level. (For a comparison of the risk level, in October 2024 an egg recall due to Salmonella was given the highest risk classification, Class I, meaning that the contaminant could possibly cause serious health impacts and even death.)
The recalled oyster crackers were distributed throughout 24 states to three major retailers: Target, Walmart, and Giant Eagle. The crackers were sold in Alabama, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Kansas.
What to know
Some of the recalled crackers were distributed to retailers in 20-pound bags and were not initially marked for retail sale. Other recalled crackers were sold under several different brand names. At Target, the crackers were labeled Market Pantry Soup & Oyster Crackers. Walmart sold them as Great Value Soup & Oyster Crackers. Giant Eagle sold the crackers under the label Giant Eagle Oyster Crackers, and also Vista Soup & Oyster Crackers. You can identify products impacted by the recall by their UPC code and sell-by dates, which can be found in an information sheet distributed by the FDA. Crackers impacted have sell-by dates from May 23, 2025 to May 24, 2025.
If you believe that you have any impacted products on your shelves, you should not consume them. Instead, the recalled products should either be safely disposed of or returned to their place of purchase for a full refund or an exchange. It is important to note that since the recall has been in effect since February, impacted products are not likely currently on store shelves.
