WASHINGTON, June 11 — A food-safety issue that began with bulk powdered milk continues to spread through the food supply chain as additional products made with the recalled ingredient are removed from store shelves.

The original recall began on April 20, 2026, when California Dairies Inc. voluntarily recalled large quantities of powdered milk and buttermilk powder due to potential Salmonella contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Since then, the FDA has continued tracing products that used the ingredient, leading to additional recalls involving downstream manufacturers.

Millions of Pounds Recalled

The original action involved approximately 2.68 million pounds of low-heat nonfat dry milk and an additional 19,841 pounds of buttermilk powder.

Because the ingredients were sold primarily to manufacturers and distributors rather than directly to consumers, the contamination concern quickly spread throughout the food production system.

Companies that purchased the ingredients incorporated them into a variety of products or repackaged them under separate brand names.

As a result, the list of affected products continues to expand.

FDA Issues Highest Warning Level

The recall received a Class I designation, the FDA’s most serious recall classification.

A Class I recall indicates a reasonable probability that exposure to the product could cause serious health consequences or death.

Salmonella infections can produce fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and severe illness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Salmonella causes approximately 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths annually in the United States.

Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk.

Hidden Ingredient Creates Challenges

Powdered milk appears in far more products than many consumers realize.

It is commonly used in baking mixes, snack foods, soups, sauces, chocolate products, processed foods, and numerous packaged goods.

That widespread use makes recalls involving powdered milk particularly difficult to contain.

A single contaminated ingredient can affect dozens of brands and manufacturers across the country.

What Consumers Should Do

Consumers are encouraged to review current FDA recall notices and compare affected lot numbers and product codes with items in their homes.

Products included in recall notices should be discarded or returned according to manufacturer instructions.

Because additional products may continue to be identified, food-safety experts recommend periodically checking updated FDA recall lists.

Supply Chain Lessons

The case highlights how interconnected modern food production has become.

A single supplier can provide ingredients to numerous manufacturers, distributors, and retailers nationwide.

When contamination occurs, recalls often extend far beyond the original company.

Industry experts say the incident demonstrates the importance of traceability systems that allow regulators and manufacturers to quickly identify where affected ingredients were used.

Those systems help limit public exposure and reduce the scope of food-safety incidents.

JBizNews Desk — Washington

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