Pringles, Nutella, Cheerios Among Thousands of Products Recalled for Exposure to Rodent Waste

Nearly 2,000 products — including food, pet food, cosmetics, household items, and some drugs — are being recalled after federal officials cited rodent and bird contamination at a distribution facility.

Gold Star Distribution, Inc. has recalled thousands of items shipped to Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota, according to a notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recall was first issued on Dec. 26 after the FDA determined the company’s Minneapolis-area facility was operating under “insanitary conditions,” including rodent excreta, rodent urine, and bird droppings. The agency warned that affected products may have been exposed to contaminated surfaces or airborne particles from animal waste — raising the risk of illness such as salmonella or leptospirosis, a bacterial disease linked to exposure to animal urine.

On Jan. 22, the FDA assigned the recall a Class II classification, indicating the products may cause temporary or medically reversible health effects, while the likelihood of serious health consequences is considered remote.

Products were distributed to retailers across the three affected states. A specific list of retailers can be found on the FDA’s website here.

The list of recalled items spans multiple categories. It includes popular snacks and candies such as Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Pringles, and Takis, along with breakfast foods like Cheerios and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal. The recall also covers beverages including Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Smartwater, and Arizona Iced Teas, as well as pantry staples such as Heinz ketchup, Crisco oil, and cinnamon sticks.

Other recalled items include a wide range of non-food products, such as Pepto-Bismol, Axe body spray, Q-Tip cotton swabs, Fancy Feast cat food, and Gillette razors.

A complete list of affected items — including exact UPCs and SKUs — is available in the recall notice. The company advises consumers who purchased impacted products to destroy them as soon as possible, according to the announcement.