The reason Costco butter got recalled is due to the labels failing to declare the presence of milk, which is a major allergen, as required by the FDA, even though the butter inherently contains milk.
Costco recalled nearly 80,000 lbs their Kirkland Signature butter in late 2024 due to the label issues.
The recall on the Costco butter was just a labeling issue and the butter itself is safe to consume as long as you have no allergies to milk.
The labeling issue was for both salted and unsalted varieties of Costco butter, which was classified as a Class II recall, which means it could cause temporary issues for sensitive people, but not illnesses have been reported which lead many people to question the butter recall due to the butter's obvious dairy content
There's no need to throw out or return the recalled butter as it's safe to consume.
Many customers also found the recall of the Costco butter to be unnecessary as butter is also known to contain milk, which lead to online discussions about the oversight.
The butter products affected by the 2024 butter recall at Costco was for the Kirkland Signature Salted Sweet Cream Butter and Kirkland Signature Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter.
In fact, Costco and Continental Dairy Facilities also worked together to issue a memo to the Costco members who purchased the affected packages of butter.
As they write, “If you purchased the recalled butter and you do not have a milk allergy, this butter is safe to consume.