Use caution Meat & poultry recall · USDA FSIS · Published February 25, 2021

Whole Foods Beef Meatballs with Marinara: Undeclared Milk Allergen Alert

FSIS public health alert: Whole Foods Market sold beef meatballs with marinara sauce containing undeclared parmesan cheese (milk allergen). Consumers with milk allergies should not consume these products.

Plain-English summary generated from official USDA FSIS data by GovInfoNow · Published by Carlos Caban · How we make summaries

🇺🇸 USDA FSIS recall #PHA-02252021-01Meat & poultryWhole Foods Market

Use caution until it’s fixed

Whole Foods Market, Inc., sold an undetermined amount of beef meatballs with marinara sauce that were misbranded and were produced with an undeclared allergen

✎ GovInfoNow plain-language explainer

Whole Foods Market sold beef meatballs with marinara sauce that contain parmesan cheese made from milk, an undeclared allergen. People with milk allergies should not eat these products as they could cause allergic reactions. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1275213-whole-foods-beef-meatballs-with-marinara-undeclared-milk-allergen-alert.

Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1275213-whole-foods-beef-meatballs-with-marinara-undeclared-milk-allergen-alert · Updated October 6, 2026 · Official notice: USDA FSIS #PHA-02252021-01

Cite this page

“Whole Foods Beef Meatballs with Marinara: Undeclared Milk Allergen Alert.” GovInfoNow, updated October 6, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1275213-whole-foods-beef-meatballs-with-marinara-undeclared-milk-allergen-alert. Based on USDA FSIS recall #PHA-02252021-01 (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-beef-meatball-products-due-misbranding-and).

The Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert on Feb. 25, 2021, for Whole Foods Market beef meatball products due to misbranding and an undeclared milk allergen. Consumers with food allergies are urged not to consume the affected items.

How to tell if you have it

Brand: Whole Foods Market
Product: Beef Meatballs with Marinara
Package: 24-oz. clear plastic containers
PLU code: 39496
Sell-by dates: through 2/27/21
Sold in: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin

What to do

Consumers with food allergies who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

The hazard

The beef meatballs with marinara sauce were produced with parmesan cheese made from milk, which is a known allergen not declared on the label. The problem was discovered after the firm notified the FDA of a customer report of an adverse reaction due to consumption of the product.

Context

GovInfoNow's records show other recent recalls include La Guadalupana Frozen Tamales (2025-12-14) and Power Plate Meals (2026-06-18). Reser's also recalled pasta salad on 2026-06-25 due to hidden allergens.

How to tell if you have this one

Look for 24-oz. clear plastic containers labeled 'Whole Foods Market Beef Meatballs with Marinara' with PLU code 39496 and sell-by dates through February 27, 2021. These products were sold in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Brand
Whole Foods Market
Category
Meat & poultry

Based on the official USDA FSIS remedy

What to do — step by step

Stop using it now
Throw away or return the product to the place of purchase if you have the recalled meatballs.

Official remedy

What USDA FSIS says to do

Consumers with food allergies who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.

Where it went

Where it was distributed

Distributed in 9 states.

USDA FSIS distribution: “Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin”

States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin.

✎ GovInfoNow

Questions people ask

From the GovInfoNow team · based on the USDA FSIS notice · How we make summaries

Are these products still available?

The recall was not requested because it is believed the affected products are no longer available to be directly purchased by retail consumers.

What should I do if I have an allergic reaction?

Contact a health care provider if you experience symptoms after consuming the product.

How can I report a problem with these products?

Report issues through the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or via the Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System.

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Keep exploring

Check another product by scanning its barcode

Link to this recall

<a href="https://govinfonow.com/recall/1275213-whole-foods-beef-meatballs-with-marinara-undeclared-milk-allergen-alert">Whole Foods Beef Meatballs with Marinara: Undeclared Milk Allergen Alert (GovInfoNow)</a>

Where this comes from

The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official USDA FSIS recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.

Official source: USDA FSIS Recall #PHA-02252021-01 (February 25, 2021)
Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 6, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the USDA FSIS notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official USDA FSIS recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.