From Legal Insurrection

Big Government at work: FDA asks consumers to return improperly labeled butter for refund.

Leslie Eastman 

When President Donald Trump takes office in January, he is going to have many fresh examples of bureaucratic over-reach and inanity to point to when the leftists complain about his ambitious ‘government efficiency’ plans.

The disgraceful behavior of the Federal Emergency Management Agency team members who skipped the homes of Trump supporters may likely be the left’s “January 6th” moment.

Many voters are still angry over Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon, social media sensations, who were both euthanized by New York state authorities after their owner’s home was raided. This event likely contributed to Trump receiving over 40% of the vote in that state, the best Republican performance in New York since 2004.

Now comes news that Costco recalled nearly 80,000 pounds of butter due to labels lacking the necessary “Contains Milk” allergen warning on its packaging, despite containing cream as an ingredient.

Costco was forced to recall nearly 80,000 pounds of butter because the label failed to mention that the kitchen staple contains milk — and many social media users are rolling their eyes at the dairy dilemma.

The FDA sent out an initial recall for 79,200 pounds of Kirkland Signature butter due to the undeclared allergen in October. Packages for both the salted and unsalted Kirkland Signature Sweet Cream Butter list cream as an ingredient, but do not include an allergy warning that the butter “Contains Milk.”

The bizarre recall has left many internet users scratching their heads. The most common comment: “It’s butter.”

Back when I was young, our school trips were to farms and historic sites. We learned about how food is made. I even recall churning cream during a visit, which resulted in gloriously delicious butter.

I assume everyone knows that butter comes from cow’s milk. If that isn’t the case, then I would like to know why.

I suspect it would be because our dreadful woke-educational complex no longer offers school trips to farms or colonial history sites. If so, this would be another example for the Trump team to use, this time when they need to explain why they are restructuring the nation’s educational system.

Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offered an astonishing recommendation about the butter that had already been bought without the proper labeling.

The FDA advised shoppers who’ve purchased a recalled product not to give it to other individuals or pets.

They’ve also pointed out that stores will often offer shoppers a full refund if the product was not used before the recall.

The FDA has explained what Costco customers can do if they’ve purchased the affected Kirkland unsalted or salted butter packages.

Chances are high that people with dairy allergies already know not to buy butter. So, why would consumers who intentionally selected the creamy goodness want to return or trash it?

Now, I completely understand some suffer from allergic reactions to dairy products. Hence, there are FDA guidelines:

Companies have to label food products that have milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame under the law, according to the FDA.

The recalls for potentially not having the notice about milk, an ingredient that some social media users suggested should be common sense to consumers, came roughly a month before the FDA labeled them “Class II,” a classification that the FDA said indicates a product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

I work in the realm where hazard labeling is important. I have to ask, why wasn’t Costco given the opportunity to simply add a small label saying “Contains Milk” on its packing?

There was an easy fix to this situation. Why was it not explored? Why is a recall of a basic dietary item that was properly made the go-to solution?

I have my own concerns. In the past few months, significant quantities of meat products have been recalled to due listeria. The loss of product and the lack of oversight where it is needed is very troubling.

And I am very mindful of the continued undermining of dairy farmers and cattle ranchers by several federal agencies.

Hopefully, the new administration will be more serious about food security and less concerned about trite label hiccups.