Sugar Foods LLC is recalling certain lots of Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons over potential salmonella contamination tied to milk powder used in the product's seasoning blend, the company said.
Sugar Foods is pulling specific lots of Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons sold between March and April over a milk powder contamination concern
Brandon Bell / Getty Images
Sugar Foods LLC is recalling certain lots of Kroger Homestyle Cheese Garlic Croutons over potential salmonella contamination tied to milk powder used in the product's seasoning blend, the company said.
The recall covers 5-ounce pouches of the croutons with a best-if-used-by date of Feb. 17, 2027, and UPC 0 11110 81353 4. The products were distributed to Kroger stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia between March 7 and April 7, 2026, Sugar Foods said. No illnesses have been reported.
The contamination risk comes from a chain of ingredient suppliers. California Dairies Inc. provided the milk powder to Solina USA, which used it in a seasoning blend sold to Sugar Foods. Sugar Foods then used that blend on the croutons. The company said that tests on the seasoning batches showed no salmonella before use, and it is recalling the product as a precaution after California Dairies started its own recall.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness, particularly in young children, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems, Sugar Foods said. Symptoms in otherwise healthy people can include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare cases, the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and lead to more severe conditions such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.
The Kroger crouton recall is the latest to stem from the salmonella recall linked to bulk powdered milk from California Dairies Inc., which has expanded to cover products from multiple brands. California Dairies flagged its bulk powdered milk and buttermilk as potentially contaminated in April 2026, and wholesale distributors and food manufacturers that received the ingredient have since issued a series of brand-level recalls. Products pulled in connection with the same contamination include Ghirardelli powdered beverage mixes, Zapp's and Dirty brand potato chips, Pork King Good pork rinds, snack mixes under the Fisher, Southern Style Nuts, Squirrel Brand, and Good & Gather labels, Giant Eagle pita chips, Wildlife Seasoning flavored popcorn seasoning, Williams Sonoma and Fireworks Popcorn white cheddar seasoning, Stoltzfus Family Dairy cheese curds, and Blackstone Parmesan Ranch Seasoning. In each case involving finished snack products, pre-use testing of the implicated seasoning came back negative for salmonella.
Consumers who purchased the recalled croutons can contact Sugar Foods at 332-240-6676, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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