Public Health Alert Issued for Aldi Pork Carnitas Due to Potential Metal Contamination

Check your fridge and freezer.

By
Cheyenne Buckingham
Cheyenne Buckingham
Cheyenne Buckingham
Cheyenne Buckingham is the former Senior News Editor for Eat This, Not That! where she covered anything from national food recalls to accessible meal-prepping tips inspired by chefs and registered dietitians. Her work can be found in various outlets, including Well+Good, Condé Nast Traveler, Shape.com, HealthCentral, Nike, Runner’s World, GoodRx, Simply Recipes, and more.
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Updated April 21, 2025
Cheyenne Buckingham
ALDI storefront with health alert tag

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On Saturday, April 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for ready-to-eat pork carnitas sold at Aldi stores nationwide. The product was produced exclusively between April 1 and 2, 2025. No official recall was announced as this product is no longer available for purchase.

Still, the FSIS is concerned the food item could be in people’s fridges and freezers, as some of the use-by dates stretch into July. Cargill (the producer of the Aldi product) alerted the FSIS that during its routine process checks, it discovered equipment damage that could have potentially contaminated the carnitas products with metal fragments. 

As of April 21, no injuries have been reported. If concerned about injury, please visit your healthcare provider.

ALDI Pork Carnitas

  • Product Name: Pork Carnitas SEASONED & SEARED PORK WITH JUICES SLOW COOKED WITH CITRUS, 16-oz. sleeved tray packages
  • Establishment number: Est. 46049
  • Use by dates: 06/30/2025 or 07/01/2025 (located on the side of the packaging)
  • Packaging: Product's label can be found here.

What To Do If You Have the Recalled Product at Home

If the carnitas are in your home, the FSIS urges you to toss the item and notify the Aldi location you bought it from for a full refund. If you have any other questions or concerns about the public health alert, you can contact Cargill's Consumer Hotline at 1-844-419-1574. 

If you have more general food safety questions, you can always call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). If you prefer email, submit your questions to MPHotline@usda.gov.

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