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Butter Recalled for Possible Fecal Contamination

The recalled butter was only sold in Vermont. The FDA said it's unlikely to cause negative health consequences.
Butter Recalled for Possible Fecal Contamination
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Updated on April 10, 2025
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Editor’s Note

A spokesperson for the parent company of Cabot Creamery, Agri-Mark, issued a correction about where the recalled butter was sold and added information about how much butter reached the public.
Agri-Mark, the parent company of Cabot Creamery, has voluntarily recalled about 1,700 pounds of butter due to elevated levels of coliform bacteria, a type associated with fecal (poop) contamination, according to an enforcement report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Elevated levels of coliform bacteria can suggest sanitation failures during production.

Agri-Mark recalled 189 cases of “Cabot Creamery 8 oz Extra Creamy Premium Butter, Sea Salted,” distributed to seven states. A spokesperson for the company said that 99.5 percent of the butter was pulled before reaching the public, and the only sales of the recalled product occurred in Vermont.

The packaging included two 4-ounce (oz) sticks of butter, with the UPC code 0 78354 62038 0 and the lot number 090925-055. The recalled butter has a best-by date of 09/09/25.

The enforcement report lists the recall as a class 3 event, which means eating the recalled butter is not likely to cause negative health consequences. No illnesses have been reported to date related to this recall.

What Is Coliform Bacteria?

For over a century, the presence of coliform bacteria has been considered an indicator of unsanitary conditions. Most coliform bacteria don’t cause foodborne illness, but many of the strains that do are types of E. coli.

E. coli can cause several different types of illness depending on the strain, but it’s often connected to watery or bloody diarrhea.

Other symptoms of E. coli infection include stomach cramps, vomiting, and fever.

Some groups are more vulnerable to E. coli infection, including:

  • Children younger than 5
  • Adults 65 and older
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • International travelers

Neither the FDA nor Agri-Mark have said that the recalled butter is contaminated with E. coli, but it may be safer to return or throw away the butter.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Enforcement Report — Event ID: 96592. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. April 8, 2025.
  2. Recalls Background and Definitions. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. July 31, 2014.
  3. Coliform Bacteria – Indicators in Food & Water. Cornell College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
  4. About Escherichia coli Infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Emily Kay Votruba

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Emily Kay Votruba has copyedited and fact-checked for national magazines, websites, and books since 1997, including Self, GQ, Gourmet, Golf Magazine, Outside, Cornell University Press, Penguin Random House, and Harper's Magazine. Her projects have included cookbooks (Padma Lakshmi's Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet), self-help and advice titles (Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You're Worth), memoirs (Larry King's My Remarkable Journey), and science (Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Learn, by Cathy Davidson). She started freelancing for Everyday Health in 2016.
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Monroe Hammond joined Everyday Health in 2021 and now runs the news desk as an editor. They received a master’s degree from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, as well as a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Emory University in Atlanta.

Hammond has written and edited explainers on a number of health and wellness topics, including racial disparities in HIV treatment, the metabolic benefits of cold exposure, how the flu shot works, and solutions for seasonal dermatology woes. They have also edited pieces on the latest developments from NASA, the health repercussions of climate change, and the cutting edge of quantum physics. Their work has appeared in Popular Science, Insider, Psychology Today, and Health Digest, among other outlets.

Before turning to journalism, Hammond taught English while living in Thailand and Malaysia. They were born and raised in the American South, and currently live in Brooklyn with their spouse, three cats, and too many houseplants to count.
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