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Alamance Foods, the North Carolina company that makes Costco’s Kirkland Signature Real Heavy Whipped Cream, is recalling one batch that may contain a small amount of a cleaning chemical. The cans were sold in 12 states between Oct. 11 and Oct. 31, and Costco members are being told to stop using them and return them for a full refund.
The notice went out in a letter to Costco members dated Nov. 7, less than three weeks before Thanksgiving. The letter says no serious adverse effects requiring medical care have been reported.
One Batch, and Members Who Noticed a Chemical Smell
Alamance Foods said in the letter that it learned one batch of the whipped cream may contain a small amount of a cleaning chemical. The company called the recall voluntary and described it as a precaution.
Costco members had reported a chemical smell and taste, according to the letter. The Healthy reported that it is unclear how the cans became contaminated, and WSB-TV noted that the notice does not name the chemical.
ABC News said it contacted Alamance Foods and Costco for comment. Its Nov. 13 report did not include a response from either company.
The Markings on the Affected Cans
The recalled product is the 15-ounce can of Kirkland Signature Real Heavy Whipped Cream, sold at Costco as a 3-pack under item number 1777000. Alamance Foods lists its own item code for the product as AC50.
The affected cans carry a best-if-used-by date of APR/02/27, which is April 2, 2027. The letter also gives a timestamp range printed on the can, from 00:35 to 02:45, and includes photos of the label and the printed code.
The Takeout, in its Nov. 11 report, told shoppers to check the label for the item code and number. Parade, in a story carried by Yahoo, advised checking both the date and the timestamp.
Twelve States and Three Weeks of Sales
Alamance Foods named the states where the item was sold: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Purchases fall between Oct. 11 and Oct. 31, 2026.
Costco’s recall page lists the item as Kirkland Signature Heavy Whipped Cream, item 1777000, for select locations in the Midwest and Southeast. The Takeout reported that Costco locations in other states did not receive the product.
The letter was addressed to members whose Costco records show a purchase of the item during the sale window, either on their own account or through an add-on member. WSB-TV said the alert did not name individual warehouses, so it is not spelled out which stores within a state carried the affected cans.
Who Makes the Cream, and How the Recall Works
Alamance Foods is based in Burlington, North Carolina. Its company website says it has made whipped cream and freezer pops since 1959, traces its history to 1890, and offers private label services from formulation through packaging.
The recall was started by the company. The FDA says recalls may be conducted on a firm’s own initiative, at the agency’s request or by FDA order, and sorts them into three classes by the health risk they carry. The most serious class covers products with a reasonable probability of serious adverse health consequences or death. The middle class covers temporary or medically reversible effects, and the lowest covers products not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
ABC News’s report does not give an FDA classification for this recall, and the letter describes it as a voluntary action by Alamance Foods.
What Costco Members Are Told to Do Before Holiday Baking
The letter tells anyone who still has the affected cans to stop using them and return them to a local Costco for a full refund. Questions about the product can go to Alamance Foods at [email protected].
The Takeout opened its report with the holiday timing, noting that Costco shoppers stock up in the weeks before Thanksgiving. The writer said the store’s pumpkin pies are not the problem, and that the whipped cream often sold alongside them is.
The recalled cans carry a best-if-used-by date in April 2027, so cans bought in October may still be unopened at home. Parade’s story, carried by Yahoo, framed the recall as timely for the same reason, since many shoppers may still have the product in their refrigerators.
The Takeout wrote that the worst likely outcome is the inconvenience of driving back to Costco for a refund, and noted that aerosol whipped cream is not commonly recalled. It added that aerosol cream still needs refrigeration but lasts up to three months after opening, compared with a few days for homemade whipped cream.
Home bakers who prefer to whip their own cream can find a spiced version in the pumpkin pots de crème, and a classic holiday finish in the Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe. Food safety guidance for the days after the meal is in the Thanksgiving leftovers timeline.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Kimberly Vardeman – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons