Several types of recently sold produce could cause serious illness, and one of the country's biggest grocery chains is involved.
Onions Recalled By a Major Grocer in 6 States
Published on Mar. 04, 2025
Editor’s note: On Friday, March 7, 2025, a representative for the National Onion Association contacted our editorial team with an update that this recall had been “taken down.” Details on the recall callback are available here.
Only months after an E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s was connected to onions, a new announcement from a wide-reaching grocery chain suggests that this kitchen staple could have a different but potentially serious health risk.
On March 3, the Kroger website announced a recall of sweet onions. Additional updates were made both Monday and Tuesday, expanding the recall to include additional types of onions: jumbo yellow, white, and red.
In total, onions sold in six different states—stretching across the Southeast and into Texas—have been recalled. It is not immediately clear how many onions have been affected. According to the recall announcement, the onions “may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.” Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a bacteria that can cause foodborne illness with potentially serious effects on certain groups of people.
The initial batch of recalled onions have the following identifying information:
- Sweet onions – import jumbo
- PLU number: #4166
- Purchase dates between 3/2/25 and 3/4/25
- Sold in Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana
Though the Kroger website’s recall section lists the onions’ unit size as 40 lbs., the additional notice provided by Kroger also lists the size as “each,” though it is not further defined whether that means additional unit sizes of sweet onions.
Additional onions are also listed as recalled on Kroger’s website on March 3 with the following information:
- Onions – white jumbo bulk (50 lbs.)
- Onions – red jumbo (40 lbs.)
- Onions – yellow jumbo bulk (50 lbs.)
No PLU numbers, purchase dates, or other details were provided on the Kroger website for these three onions as of Tuesday morning.
The above onions were found in Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana. On March 4, Kroger posted additional information to indicate that the red jumbo onions and yellow jumbo bulk onions were also distributed to Kroger stores located in the greater Memphis, Tennessee area; Arkansas; Mississippi; and western Kentucky.
The notice seems to indicate that Tex Mex Sales is the distributor for the sweet onions. Tex Mex Sales, LLC is located in Weslaco, Texas, and its website describes the company as “the premier onion processing center in deep South Texas.”
Though Kroger is the parent company for many well-known grocery chains, including Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, and Pick ‘N Save, the notice only lists Kroger stores as part of the recall.
The Cleveland Clinic says listeriosis “is a foodborne illness caused by the bacteria L. monocytogenes.” Listeriosis infections are most often caused by contaminated foods such as hot dogs, fresh produce, or unpasteurized dairy products.
Common symptoms of listeriosis include:
- Chills
- Headaches
- Fever
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
Though the Cleveland Clinic says “it isn’t as dangerous for those with a healthy immune system,” pregnant women, adults older than 65, and individuals with weakened immune systems are the most at risk to experience severe illnesses.
Consumers are urged not to eat any of the onions listed in the recall. The recall notice indicates consumers should return any affected onions to the Kroger store where they were originally purchased for a full refund.
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