The 2024 Sourdough Bread Recall That Hit Aldi Hard

Sourdough bread is a perennial sandwich favorite — no, you aren't imagining a difference between sourdough and white bread – and, for great prices and a great selection of house-brand products, it's reasonable to think that you might choose Aldi for your bread fix. Aldi's lack of brand-name products is by design, since offering mostly generic items allows them to pass on greater savings. In 2024, however, Aldi customers were disappointed by the sudden disappearance of the chain's Mixed Sourdough Loaf from shelves.

Come to find out, the FDA issued a Class II recall against Izzio Artisan Bakery, the manufacturer behind Aldi's sourdough. Izzio voluntarily recalled 9,500 cases of Aldi bread, each of which contained a dozen loaves, which were sold in Arizona, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas. Come to find out, tiny pieces of plastic had been found contaminating the affected loaves. As the plastic was a foreign material with the potential to hurt consumers' mouths, the recall was bumped up to Class II, which refers to a recall where the risk of serious harm is minimal, but not nonexistent. Izzio Artisan Bakery also recalled two other products that it sold under its own name, an everything roll and an everything sourdough loaf.

On Reddit, where word spread about the Aldi sourdough recall, customers were dismayed to learn that they wouldn't be able to get their carb fix for a little while, reporting empty spots on store shelves where the loaves should have been. "Dang is that why they haven't had the larger square loaves?" one customer fretted. "I've been missing our 'squaradough'." Another saddened buyer wailed, "This explains why I haven't been able to buy my monthly everything loaf. It was so good." According to anecdotes, Aldi offered other types of sourdough in the interim while the Izzio loaves were unavailable, but some customers simply did not enjoy those as much. Sourdough has been having a serious capital-M Moment since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it makes sense that customers in 2024 would be seriously dismayed by a lack of this bread on their shelves when they go to pick up groceries.

There don't seem to have been any injuries associated with the Aldi sourdough recall and, thankfully, no further issues with sourdough bread since the recall got wrapped up. If it seems like food recalls are increasing in recent years, it only means that governing bodies have perhaps raised their expectations and improved monitoring of your food to keep it safer and healthier. It's a bummer that Aldi customers temporarily couldn't access their favorite sourdough for their toast and sandwiches, but it's always a good thing when potential injuries are averted.