Why Costco and Trader Joe’s stopped selling your favorite food items
While this all sounds exciting, you should prepare for disappointment when you open any bag of these specialty food items.
For at least a few weeks, they won’t even sell to you, according to a statement from Costco.
The chain’s CEO, Doug McMillon, told Fox Business News that, “We have a very rigorous process that checks and verifies our vendors, and in some instances we have had to take action in order to bring these products back from vendors who have stopped selling them.”
The company stopped selling products including its popular Signature Beef and a range of popular protein bars last fall. That’s after the Food and Drug Administration sent the company a warning letter in October that it was not following the law when it stopped selling a protein bar called “The Magic Peanut Butter Baking Blend Protein Bar.”
The FDA said the protein bar was not listed on the FDA’s list of foods that contain high levels of sodium. The agency’s letter said that the protein bar would likely increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.
McMillon said the FDA’s warning was “not an issue and these products are available to consumers again this coming week.”
Costco still sells items like its low-sodium baked fish fillet and its low-sodium and low-calorie baked fish fillet. But it’s not clear if the company will sell other items like protein bars, its own meats like its bacon in the freezer section and its deli meats like bologna or corned beef.
McMillon said: “We don’t want to get into a legal battle over a particular brand or product, especially when we’ve taken the time to go through our quality checks to find an alternate supplier.”
McMillon did say that the company “will continue to work with suppliers who will continue to sell to us as long as they meet our high standards.”
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