Costco Kirkland Whipped Cream Recalled in 12 States Over Possible Cleaning Chemical

Alamance Foods, the maker of Costco's Kirkland Signature Real Heavy Whipped Cream, is recalling one batch of the product because it "may contain a small amount of a cleaning chemical."

The company announced the voluntary recall in a Nov. 7 notice to Costco members. It lands just ahead of Thanksgiving, when canned whipped cream is a common topping for pumpkin pie.

What is covered

The recall applies to 15-ounce cans of Kirkland Signature Real Heavy Whipped Cream, Costco item No. 1777000, sold in three-packs and packed in eight-count cases. The item code is AC50.

Affected cans carry a best-if-used-by date of April 2, 2027. The timestamp printed on the can falls between 00:35 and 02:45.

Costco records show the product was sold between Oct. 11 and Oct. 31, 2026. Alamance said Costco records indicate the recipients, or their add-on members, bought it in that window.

The cans were sold in 12 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

What the company says happened

According to Alamance, the recall followed customer complaints. "Members have reported a chemical smell and taste, but no serious adverse effects requiring medical care have been reported," the notice said.

The company said it is acting "out of an abundance of caution." It described the recall as voluntary and limited to a single batch.

That is the company's characterization of the risk. The notice tells people to stop using the product and return it for a refund.

What to do

Anyone who still has a can matching those details should stop using it and return it to a local Costco for a full refund. Alamance asked members with questions to email customer.care@alamancefood.com.

The purchase window closed two weeks ago. A three-pack bought in mid-October could easily still be in a fridge or pantry, set aside for the holiday.

Check the timestamp on the can, not just the best-by date. The 00:35 to 02:45 timestamp range is a key detail identifying the affected cans.

Open questions

The notice does not name the chemical. It does not say how the chemical may have gotten into the product, or how many cans are involved. Quartz, citing the San Francisco Chronicle, reported that the notice neither named the chemical nor described how it may have ended up in the whipped cream. Quartz described the substance as possible trace amounts of a sanitizing agent.

Those gaps matter because "cleaning chemical" covers a wide range of substances. Without a name, shoppers have only the company's statement that no serious effects have been reported.

Costco has not publicly detailed its own response beyond hosting the notice and accepting returns. ABC News said it had reached out to both Alamance and Costco for comment.

Timing

The recall comes as shoppers plan their Thanksgiving meals. Costco has promoted a $200 Thanksgiving bundle that serves eight with turkey, sides and desserts, though nothing in the recall notice says whipped cream is part of that bundle.

Shoppers in the 12 states need to check one thing: whether the can in the fridge has a timestamp between 00:35 and 02:45. The question for Alamance is what it found, and whether it will say.