Officials announce recall of over sixty thousand pounds of popular food item — here's what you need to know

If you're one of the many people who have oats for breakfast or use them for baking, you might want to check the label. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall on 63,000 pounds of Grain Millers oats, which may have been contaminated with plastic. 

What's happening?

According to Grain Millers' website, it produces about 25% of all oats in North America. 

The FDA made this a Class II recall, which means that there is a lower potential for harm, but you should still take precautions. 

According to the FDA, consumers should look out for two labels:

1. 1800 LB Regular Rolled Oats #5, Weight: 1800.00 lb. Product ID: 810239153.
2. 1600 LB Quick Rolled Oats #21, Weight: 1600.00 lb. Product ID: 811176. 

The recall process began on February 11, 2025, and was considered terminated as of April 25, 2025, so future Grain Millers products should be safe — but you still need to check the oats in your cupboard to make sure you didn't pick up any from the recalled batch. 

Why is plastic in our food concerning?

Scientists are learning about the dangers of plastics in the human body, particularly microplastics. Microplastics are so small that they generally can't be seen by the human eye alone.

Researchers have found microplastics everywhere from human brains to blood and breast milk. They are not just in humans — they are in animals and in our environment, as a study published in Emerging Contaminants revealed. Scientists have even identified microplastics in clouds.

So, if microplastics are everywhere, how bad could they be? According to Stanford, microplastics can be linked to different types of cancer, heart issues, and reproductive problems.

Our food systems rely on plastic at various stages of production and packaging, exposing consumers to plastic contamination, the FDA noted. Moving away from plastic in the food industry could help avoid the risks of microplastic exposure. 

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What's being done about plastic in food?

While organizations like the FDA watch for notable instances of plastic contamination, plastic packaging is common in nearly every grocery store. 

If you want to avoid plastic as much as possible, zero-waste grocery stores are on the rise. Additionally, some brands have pursued plastic-free packaging. 

You can also use your voice to ask for change. Beyond Plastics has a letter template that you can fill out and send to your local grocery store asking them to be more mindful of the packaging of their products.

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