Thanks in part to its inclusion in an array of popular dishes, marinara sauce recalls throughout the years have impacted wide swaths of the American public. Derived from the Italian "alla marinara," which translates to "in sailor style," the simple sauce combining tomatoes with garlic, onions, and spices is a feature of pizza parties and spaghetti nights alike. However, meal plans have been sidetracked a number of times in the past over marinara recalls involving risks of allergens, molds, and even labeling issues.
Triggering swelling, a rash, or a more serious medical crisis is a surefire way to spoil someone's meatball sub or their chicken parmesan. Fortunately for consumers -- and the retailers and restaurants bringing the sauce to tables across the nation — safety measures and oversight have kept occurrences to a minimum. Still, when issues have arisen similar to the cases that follow, the scope has sometimes encompassed tens of thousands of pounds worth of marinara.
Read more: Secret Ingredients You Should Be Using In Your Spaghetti Sauce
Scratch Pasta Co. Marinara Sauce Recall (2023)
As far as the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA) is concerned, precision is paramount when it comes to declaring allergens. So it was that when an inspection at the Henderson, North Carolina facility of Carolina CoPacking, LLC reviewed jars of Scratch Pasta Co.'s marinara sauce, a lack of clarity on milk -- one of the nine major food allergens -- was enough to trigger a recall.
Along with the peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes and onion, the description on the 24.5-ounce glass jars listed butter -- one of a number of ways to upgrade pasta sauce -- as an ingredient. Whether or not it may be considered common knowledge that butter is a dairy product derived from churning cream was of no consequence for inspectors tasked with ensuring public health. The law requires the allergen be specifically identified if the ingredient does not already contain the common name of the source. As such, over 1,800 jars that had been shipped to Virginia were recalled in December 2023.
Hungryroot Marinara Sauce Recall (2023)
Those seeking the convenience of a subscription service hit a snag in July 2023 when a key ingredient in many pasta dishes was reported to contain yeast and mold. After its initial launch by founder Ben McKean in 2015, Hungryroot had expanded in 2019 from delivering its own line of ingredients for meals in minutes to become a grocery service. Among the products offered, Hungryroot's marinara sauce, manufactured by the Gloucester, Massachusetts-based BC Gourmet USA, Inc., was found to have a fungus issue in 2023.
Deemed to be a Class II recall by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), meaning a potential for temporary and reversible health consequences was present, over 81,300 10.5-ounce cups of the marinara sauce were impacted by the recall. Additionally, nearly 13,000 10.5-ounce cups of vodka sauce posed the same risk as the product was recalled from California, Indiana, and New Jersey. Considering the amount of time unopened marinara remains shelf stable -- up to 18 months -- versus how long it stays fresh in the fridge, it wasn't until the following July that the matter was officially considered closed.
Mid's Mideo's Marinara Sauce Recall (2021)
Macronutrients may get the most attention when consumers inspect their purchases, attempting to find the ideal balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to balance their diet, but the other details often proven more critical for those with dietary restrictions. For example, those who already experience hyperkalemia, a condition with high levels of the electrolyte potassium in their blood, may well have been at risk of severe health consequences over an error involving Mid's Mideo's Marinara in 2021.
Designated as a Class II risk by the FDA, almost 160,000 32-ounce jars of the sauce produced by RC Industries Inc. was recalled in May of that year after it was determined that the incorrect amount of potassium per serving was listed on the label. While electrolytes like potassium are known for their important role in aiding hydration, those experiencing hyperkalemia can experience irregular heartbeats, digestive issues, and numbness or weakness in their muscles, typically brought on by kidney disease as the organs struggle to remove the excess potassium from the body.
Victoria Marinara Sauce Recall (2019)
Thanks to inspection processes and safety procedures, many mishaps that could prove harmful to consumers are caught before products ever leave their manufacturing facilities. That wasn't the case in February 2019 when a customer reported an alleged allergic reaction to B&G Foods related to the presence of cashews. As a result, a recall was issued for almost 1,300 cases of 40-ounce jars of Victoria Marinara Sauce.
As with fish allergens, companies are required by law to indicate the specific type of tree nut that is either included in the food or that may have come in contact with it during production. The latter is considered the most common cause for contamination with undeclared allergens according to the organization Kids with Food Allergies. Though not actually a nut by botanical standards -- instead landing beside coffee beans, olives, and peaches under the drupe designation -- cashews are considered a tree nut where allergies are concerned. Included with the recall, B&G Foods Executive Vice President of Operations William Herbes had assured that the company observes "the highest ethical standards" and that its founding values would guide them in addressing the issue.
Lidia's Marinara Sauce Recall (2017)
A simple mistake wasn't so simple for Woodbury, New York's Nonna Foods in March 2017 when a mixup impacted marinara shipped to 40 states, as well as to the nation's capital. It was then that the erroneous packaging of Lidia's Vodka Sauce with labels for Lidia's Marinara Sauce resulted in scores of jars posing a potential life-threatening risk. Specifically, since the marinara sauce does not contain milk, and the vodka sauce does (even though it doesn't need vodka), consumers sensitive to the allergen wouldn't be aware of the potential exposure.
Were someone with a milk allergy to unwittingly eat the sauce, an immune response to one of the two primary proteins in the milk would result in symptoms like digestive issues, chest tightness, or a lose of consciousness. The vast amount of protein in milk is casein at around 80% while whey comprises roughly 20%. Fortunately for Nonna's there were no reports of illness tied the distribution of about 750 jars with the incorrect label.
Mazzio's Marinara Sauce Recall (2012)
Another milk mishap occurred in 2012 after the Oklahoma-based pizza chain Mazzio's received an ill-fated supply of marinara. A key difference between pizza sauce and marinara involves the application of heat to the latter unlike the simply stirred together ingredients of the former. The business that began as school teacher Ken Selby's The Pizza Parlor in 1961 had been sent over 6,300 cases of marinara from supplier Paradise Tomato Kitchens Inc. that neglected to detail the presence of milk. Specifically, the packaging didn't explain that the butter used in preparing the sauce was a product that came from milk.
The issue was considered a Class II recall by the FDA and the cases -- that each contained six 6.65 pound pouches -- amounted to more than 253,000 pounds of marinara getting pulled from the market in order to prevent any adverse reactions. The year 2012 was also when that Paradise Tomato Kitchens had celebrated its growth to manufacturing over 120 products a year after expanding production with the opening of a third plant in Los Banos, California on top of the two located in Kentucky.
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