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 exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences." In the eyes of the FDA, the butter recall was of low concern.

Plus, the scale of the butter recall is pretty small. Agri-Mark said it recovered 99.5% of the affected lot before it was sold to consumers. Seventeen retail packages consisting of 8.5 pounds of affected butter were sold in Vermont. "There have been no reported complaints or illnesses related to this product," Agri-Mark said in a statement on April 9.

Check your Cabot Creamery butter for the lot code 090925-055. If you're one of the few who purchased the butter, then you should dispose of it or return it to the store where you purchased it.