Why Costco's Kirkland Signature Organic Roasted Seaweed Didn't Stay Discontinued For Long

It's always sad when our favorite grocery items get discontinued. Fortunately for fans of Costco's Kirkland Signature Organic Roasted Seaweed, this discontinued Costco product returned fairly quickly. But why was it removed in the first place? The reason for this snack's removal from store shelves can be summed up in one word: cadmium. Specifically, there were concerns that Costco failed to properly warn customers that the snacks may contain unsafe levels of cadmium, a heavy metal that can damage various parts of the body and may be linked to increased cancer risks.

Like many organisms, especially marine life, seaweed absorbs materials from its environment in a process known as bioaccumulation. This is what causes the cadmium contamination, as it absorbs cadmium present in the water from both natural and artificial sources, such as agricultural runoff. The Kirkland seaweed snacks were pulled off the shelves in early 2022 and came back sometime in December of the same year.

In March of 2022, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Costco alleging that they did not properly disclose that the Kirkland seaweed snack contained toxic materials like cadmium. There was no official recall from the FDA, but Costco still pulled the product from their shelves for the duration of the lawsuit.

Customers can rest easy that this seaweed snack isn't a Costco product they should avoid with every visit. According to a report by the FDA released in late November 2022, two samples of the snack were taken. One was found to be unsafe for children below six years of age but not hazardous to adults or older children, while the other was not found to be hazardous to either group. Specifically, cadmium levels in the samples fall below the TWI, or Tolerable Weekly Intake, which is 2.5 kilograms weekly. Eaten in moderation, as all foods should be, they're perfectly safe for a healthy person.

Following the FDA report, the lawsuit was dismissed in December 2022, and the roasted seaweed product returned to shelves. Today, the snacks have a Prop 65 warning in accordance with California law to warn consumers about possible exposure to hazardous elements like cadmium and lead, though longtime fans will be relieved that this Costco product does not taste any different from its previous release.