Peanut butter sold in 40 states has been urgently recalled due to potential contamination with foreign material, which could pose a choking hazard.

Ventura Foods LLC of Los Angeles voluntarily recalled multiple peanut butter products after discovering blue plastic pieces in a filter during production. 

The FDA said the ongoing recall includes 0.75oz Creamy Peanut Butter, 1.12oz Poco Pac Creamy Peanut Butter/Grape Jelly and 1.12oz Poco Pac Creamy Peanut Butter/Strawberry Jelly. 

The 0.75oz Creamy Peanut Butter was sold under the brand names Flavor Fresh Peanut Butter, House Recipe Creamy Peanut Butter, Katy's Kitchen Smooth Peanut Butter and Poco Pac. 

Affected products were distributed by Dyma Brands, Inc, US Foods, Sysco Corporation, Gordon Food Service and Independent Marketing Alliance, among others, according to FDA listings. 

Though the recall was first initiated in April 2025, it was assigned the Class II classification on Wednesday, which signifies 'a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,' according to the FDA. 

The recall includes 379 cases, 929 cases and more than 22,000 combined cases across various package sizes. Products were shipped to 40 US states. The only states not included were Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. 

The FDA has not specified if any illnesses or injuries related to the recall have been reported.

It's unclear how large the plastic pieces were, but if they were found in food, they could have posed a choking hazard. 

Roughly 5,000 Americans die from choking every year, the majority of whom are children and the elderly, due to difficulty swallowing.

Children, for instance, have narrower airways that can be more easily blocked with larger objects and are still learning proper chewing and swallowing, making them more prone to choking. 

Old age also naturally weakens the swallowing muscles, making it harder to effectively push food into the esophagus, and age-related tooth loss can lead to chewing issues.  

Food is the leading cause of choking-related deaths in the US, with hot dogs being the most common culprit. 

Many foods recalled for choking hazards are contaminated with foreign materials such as plastic and glass. 

Earlier this week, Chips Ahoy! recalled its Baked Bites Brookie 'because of an incorrect mixing process that resulted in the formation of small corn starch clumps in the product,' according to the FDA.

The agency said that due to 'the characteristics and size of the small starch clumps, the clump could constitute a choking hazard, particularly in special risk groups, such as young children and the elderly.'

And this month, Gerber Products Company recalled limited batches of Gerber Arrowroot Biscuits 'out of an abundance of caution due to the potential presence of soft plastic and/or paper pieces that should not be consumed.'