WinCo Foods of Boise, Idaho, is recalling two deli Salsa Bean Dip Trays sold in eight Western states because they may have been made with a lot of Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini that G. L. Mezzetta Inc. recalled on September 26, 2026, after a video circulating on social media showed what the company calls a potential pest contaminant in a jar. WinCo announced its recall on October 1 and FDA posted it on October 2. Neither company has received a report of illness or injury, and WinCo says the trays, which carry short shelf lives, have been pulled from stores and are unlikely to still be in anyone’s refrigerator.

What WinCo recalled

Two products are covered:

  • WinCo Foods Salsa Bean Dip Tray Express, 54 oz., UPC beginning 2-67173
  • WinCo Foods Salsa Bean Dip Tray, 16-inch catering tray (special order only), 104 oz., UPC beginning 2-67240

The recall covers trays with “Best If Used By” dates from August 14, 2026, through September 25, 2026. They were sold in WinCo stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Peperoncini are an ingredient on the trays, and WinCo says the recalled lot may have been among them.

Questions go to the WinCo Foods Customer Service Desk at 1-800-824-1706 or through the company’s online contact form.

The Mezzetta recall behind it

On September 26, G. L. Mezzetta Inc. announced a voluntary recall of a single lot of Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat in 32-ounce jars: SKU 10106328, lot 720106. FDA’s recall listing gives the reason as a product that may contain foreign objects, specifically a pest contaminant in the jar.

Mezzetta’s announcement says the company became aware of a video circulating on social media showing a potential pest contaminant in a jar, contacted the consumer who posted it, asked to retrieve and examine the jar, and is reviewing its production, sanitation and food-safety records. The company says it has production and distribution records that show where the lot went, has identified the customers that received it, and is working with them to pull the product from sale. It says its facilities follow sanitation and pest-control programs, its quality system is audited under the SQF program, and it operates under a HACCP plan. No other Mezzetta products or lots are included, and the company says it has received no reports of illness or injury.

The announcement does not say what the pest was. News accounts have described the video as appearing to show a dead mouse. Mezzetta has not confirmed that, and until the company finishes examining the jar, “potential pest contaminant” is the only description on the record.

What WinCo says about its trays

WinCo says Mezzetta notified it that the lot was recalled because of a video involving another grocery chain; the jar in the video did not come from WinCo. WinCo says it did not have or use any jars showing evidence of pests, saw no pests during production, and has received no complaints about pests or illness tied to its trays. It initiated the recall with FDA’s knowledge anyway, citing transparency with its customers and food safety, and says every tray that may have been made with the peperoncini has been removed from its stores.

Why one jar triggers two recalls

A recall is not a finding that anyone was hurt. It is a decision that a lot of food can no longer be trusted. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a food is adulterated if it consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, or if it was prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth. 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(3), (a)(4). If the video shows what it appears to show, a rodent in a sealed jar meets that definition whether or not the vinegar brine would have made anyone sick, and once a lot is adulterated, so is everything made from it.

That is how a shelf-stable condiment recall becomes a deli recall. The peperoncini in a 32-ounce jar have a long shelf life; the trays they went onto had short ones. WinCo’s date range, August 14 through September 25, tells you lot 720106 had been in WinCo’s deli supply for roughly six weeks before Mezzetta’s announcement. Any other deli or food-service kitchen that bought the same lot faces the same arithmetic.

Rodents and their droppings can carry Salmonella and other pathogens, which is why “filth” in the statute is a health concern and not a cosmetic one.

The piece of the record that is still missing

Mezzetta’s announcement names the product, the SKU and the lot. It says the company knows exactly where the lot was shipped. It does not tell the public where that was: no states, no retailers, no distributors. Six days later, WinCo’s notice became the first public word that lot 720106 reached a deli kitchen anywhere, let alone in eight states. Any other retailer or food-service operator that received the lot has made no announcement, and nothing in FDA’s recall system required one.

That is a choice, not a necessity. FSIS, which regulates meat and poultry, has published the names and locations of retail consignees for its most serious recalls by rule since 2008 (9 CFR § 390.10). FDA’s own guidance says the agency will make retail consignee lists public for certain recalls, particularly when a consumer cannot readily identify the recalled food, such as food sold at deli counters. A jar with a lot number on the label is easy to check. Peperoncini sliced onto a tray or a sandwich are not; the lot number stayed on the jar in the back of the deli. For that product, the only way a shopper learns anything is if the retailer says so, as WinCo did.

What consumers should do

  • If you have a 32-ounce jar of Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, check the lot. Lot 720106 should not be eaten; contact Mezzetta at CustomerSupport@Mezzetta.com.
  • WinCo Salsa Bean Dip Trays with Best If Used By dates of August 14 through September 25 are past date and should be discarded if any remain.
  • If you find a foreign object or a pest in any packaged food, keep the product and its packaging, photograph it, write down the lot code and the store and date of purchase, and report it to FDA through its Report a Problem page and to the company. The physical evidence is what an investigation examines, as Mezzetta’s own request to retrieve the jar shows.
  • If you became ill after eating a recalled product, see a doctor and tell them what you ate and when.

Quick answers

Did anyone get sick? Not that either company knows of. Both notices report no illnesses or injuries.

Which Mezzetta peperoncini are recalled? Only the 32-ounce Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, SKU 10106328, lot 720106. No other sizes, products or lots.

Where were the WinCo trays sold? WinCo Foods stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington, with Best If Used By dates from August 14 through September 25, 2026.

Is the recall over? WinCo says the trays are out of its stores. Mezzetta says it will update its notice if the scope changes; as of October 2, it has named no retailers or states.