Butter Recall for Potential Fecal Contamination Sure Sounds Icky. Here's What to Know

A particularly disturbing food recall has captured the internet's attention thanks to its ick factor. Dairy cooperative Agri-Mark voluntarily recalled a single lot of Cabot Creamery 8-ounce Extra Creamy Premium Butter with sea salt due to "an elevated level of coliform bacteria" discovered during product testing. Coliform is a bacteria often associated with fecal matter (or, poop). Some types of coliform can also be found in plants, soil and in the intestines of animals. It's not always harmful. However, the infamous E. coli bacteria is a type of coliform that can cause severe digestive distress. A high-profile and deadly E. coli outbreak was traced to McDonald's last year. Agri-Mark initiated the butter recall on March 26, but it came to public attention when the Food and Drug Administration classified the recall as a "Class III" on April 8. The FDA has three classes of recalls. Class I is the most severe. The FDA describes a Class III recall as "a situation in which use of or expo ... Read full article.