Health

Chobani Yogurt Under FDA Investigation

Consumers have complained of digestive issues from moldy yogurt products.

Whole Foods Market announced today it will stop selling Chobani yogurt products in early 2014 since they contain genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs. Photograph by Flickr user Provisions.

We know our Well+Being readers love their Greek yogurt, but you might want to toss any Chobani products you’ve purchased recently.

On Saturday the company acknowledged a mold problem in the yogurt produced at a plant in Idaho, and told retailers to remove its products from shelves. Yesterday, the FDA announced it would investigate the situation, although it has not yet issued a recall. Chobani announced today it has issued a voluntary recall. 

In recent days Chobani had been notified by customers that some of their yogurt containers were bloated and runny. According to a statement posted on the company’s blog, its own investigation turned up a type of mold “commonly found in the dairy environment.” Chobani says this mold problem affects less than 5 percent of the production from the Idaho plant. 

However, this morning the company acknowledged that the mold is not ideal: “We won’t sugarcoat it—this type of mold is not pleasant. While unlikely to have ill health effects upon consumption, nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our consumers, and we are taking all of the necessary steps to uphold our very rigid quality standards.”

Still, various consumers posted on Chobani’s Facebook page complaints about the tainted product. One alleged that her 15-month-old daughter experienced a rash from Chobani’s Champion tubes for kids, but most others complained of digestive issues.

To be safe, discard any Chobani yogurt products with the code 16-012 and expiration dates from September 11 through October 7. You can also e-mail care@chobani.com with any questions or complaints. Chobani will also handle consumer’s requests for yogurt replacements.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated from a previous version.