Quick Answer
Sugar Foods LLC has issued a voluntary recall of 5 ounce pouches of Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons over potential salmonella contamination. The risk traces back to a milk powder ingredient used in the topical cheese garlic seasoning blend.
If you have a bag at home with UPC 0 11110 81353 4 and a best by date between February 2027 and April 2027, do not eat it. Either throw it away or return it to any Kroger customer service desk for a full refund. No illnesses have been reported so far.
Exactly Which Product Is Recalled
- Product: Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons
- Size: 5 oz stand up retail pouch
- UPC: 0 11110 81353 4
- Best if used by: Multiple lots within the February 2027 through April 2027 window
- Distributed: March 7, 2026 through April 7, 2026 to Kroger banner stores
The recall is strictly limited to the 5 ounce Kroger branded Homestyle Cheese Garlic variety. Other Kroger crouton flavors, other sizes of the same flavor, and croutons sold under different brand names are not part of this recall.
The 17 States Affected
Affected inventory was shipped to Kroger banner stores across 17 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Because Kroger operates under several regional banner names depending on the state, the same product may have hit shelves at Kroger, Mariano's, Pick'n Save, Smith's, Fry's, Ralphs, King Soopers, City Market, and other affiliated stores within those states. The decisive identifiers are still the UPC and the best by date, regardless of the store sign on the building.
How the Contamination Path Worked
The salmonella concern did not originate at Sugar Foods. It started further up the food manufacturing chain.
- California Dairies, Inc. identified a potential salmonella risk in specific batches of bulk milk powder and issued a supplier initiated recall to its downstream customers.
- Solina USA, an industrial seasoning blender, had already incorporated some of that milk powder into a custom cheese and garlic seasoning batch before the upstream alert was fully processed.
- Sugar Foods LLC received the completed seasoning and applied it topically to its crouton line at its Westlake Village, California facility, then packed the finished 5 ounce pouches for Kroger.
- Kroger distributed the pouches into the regional retail network during the March 7 to April 7, 2026 window.
Sugar Foods said its own internal testing on the finished seasoning batches actually came back negative for salmonella before packaging. The voluntary recall was issued out of caution because the milk powder lot in question was confirmed by California Dairies to be a contamination risk, and Sugar Foods could not rule out cross batch exposure within the affected production window.
Why Salmonella Is a Serious Risk
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that typically causes fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea (sometimes bloody) within 6 to 72 hours of exposure. Most healthy adults recover within a week with rest and fluids.
The risk is much higher for vulnerable groups:
- Infants and young children
- Adults over 65 or anyone who is frail
- Pregnant individuals
- People with weakened immune systems, including chemotherapy patients, transplant recipients, and those on long term steroid therapy
In severe cases the bacteria can enter the bloodstream, leading to potentially life threatening complications such as arterial infections, endocarditis, severe infectious arthritis, and bloodstream infections that require hospital level treatment.
What You Should Do Right Now
- Check your pantry. Pull out any 5 ounce Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons. Check the UPC (0 11110 81353 4) and the best by date.
- Do not eat them. Even if the bag is unopened. Cooking croutons further does not reliably eliminate the risk profile being flagged here.
- Discard or return. Either throw the pouch away in a sealed bag so animals cannot access it, or return it to any Kroger customer service desk for a full refund. No receipt is required for recall returns.
- Clean preparation surfaces. If you sprinkled the croutons on a salad, wipe down the bowl, cutting board, and utensils with warm soapy water.
- Monitor for symptoms. If you ate the product and develop fever, prolonged diarrhea, or severe cramping, contact your healthcare provider, especially if you are in a higher risk category.
Where to Get More Information
Sugar Foods LLC has set up a dedicated customer service line for the recall at 332-240-6676. Kroger customer service desks at all banner stores in the affected states have been briefed and can process refunds without the original receipt. The official FDA enforcement listing is the authoritative source if you want to verify lot codes directly.
So far, no confirmed illnesses or hospitalizations have been linked to the recalled croutons. That is exactly the point of a precautionary recall: pull product before someone gets sick, rather than after.
The Takeaway
The 2026 Kroger crouton recall covers 5 ounce pouches of Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons with UPC 0 11110 81353 4 and best by dates from February through April 2027, distributed across 17 mostly Southern and Midwestern states. The risk is salmonella in an upstream milk powder ingredient. Check your pantry, do not eat the product, and return it to Kroger for a refund.
