Huge salad dressing recall at Costco, Publix, and more

Ventura Foods LLC has issued a recall of salad dressings sold in 27 US states at retailers including Costco and Publix. The recall, which was initiated first on November 4 and later classified as a Class II recall, affects over 3,500 cases of the product. The issue is the presence of foreign objects, namely a black plastic planting material that was found in one of the ingredients.

A Class II recall is for items that “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.” This is not as serious as a Class I recall which usually involves a pathogen that can cause serious illness or death, but it does give you another reason to make salad dressings at home.

Every time I purchase salad dressing for convenience, I am reminded that I can make a better one, usually with little effort. The EYB Library is, as always, an excellent resource, especially when you are lacking inspiration (as I often am after a long day at the office). There are thousands of salad and salad dressing recipes available online, which is helpful when you don’t want to drag out a cookbook. Member favorites include:

• Miso sweet potato and broccoli bowl (with miso-sesame dressing) from Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
• Sweetcorn slaw from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi
• Raw kale salad with anchovy-date dressing from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark
• Za’atar-roasted carrots with kale, freekeh and blood orange-maple dressing from Community by Hetty Lui McKinnon
• Rainbow carrot salad with millet, feta, and lemon yogurt dressing from Bowls of Plenty by Carolynn Carreño
• Chopped salad with honey-peanut dressing from Food & Wine Magazine (pictured)