Nearly 30,000 Pounds of Rice Recalled in 7 States

You might be surprised to know that rice is one of the dishes that food safety experts take most seriously. The Cleveland Clinic suggests that’s because of a particular bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which can grow on starchy foods when they sit between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to experts. Another reason, as Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist Christine Lee, MD states: “Rice is a bunch of tiny pieces, so it has more surface area than something like a steak. More surface area means more places for germs to hide.”

That’s a word to the wise, but it still doesn’t quite explain the reason for a recall affecting a nationally distributed rice brand. The US Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall of 27,600 one-pound bags of Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable Wild Blend Gourmet Rice. The FDA reports the cause of the recall as the following: “Product may contain foreign object that appears to be of rodent origin.”

The administration has given this a Class II recall designation, which they say is applied to “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

Here’s what else we know about this recall, per the FDA: The rice was distributed to Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wisconsin inside 4,600 cases that each held six bags of rice. The FDA suggests the product shipped to three total retailers. Lundberg Family Farms rice is sold at major national supermarket chains as well as online retailers like Amazon, but based on this report it’s not clear whether the rice in question was distributed specifically to these stores.

To identify if you bought the recalled wild rice, look for lot code 231004 and best-by date 10/04/24.

The FDA reports this recall was originally initiated in May 2024 and just given a risk classification in recent days. Based in Richvale, CA, north of Sacramento, the manufacturer is said to have reached out to customers but does not offer a clear action for remedy. A look at the “Press Room” section of their website also does not appear to list the recall.

If you bought this product, it may be worth contacting the place of purchase for a refund and citing the recall link highlighted above on this page.

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