If you are planning your upcoming summer barbecues or stocking your fridge with easy side dishes, you might want to hit pause before serving a popular grocery store staple.
A massive nationwide food recall has hit the shelves of Aldi, one of the country’s fastest-growing grocery chains. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially classified an ongoing recall impacting more than 525,000 individual packages of Aldi’s exclusive Park Street Deli Macaroni & Cheese.
The issue? A hidden ingredient that poses a serious threat to millions of Americans.
The Cause: An Undeclared Major Allergen
The voluntary recall was initially set in motion by Texas-based manufacturer BEF Foods, Inc., located in Sulphur Springs. The company flagged that the pre-cooked, refrigerated side dish contains soy lecithin—a common plant-based food additive derived from soybeans used to stabilize and blend ingredients.
Because soy lecithin was left off the product’s ingredient label, it triggered an immediate federal response. Under U.S. law, soy is recognized as one of the nine major food allergens alongside milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, and sesame.
The FDA designated this as a Class II recall. According to the agency’s official framework, a Class II designation means:
“Exposure to the product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
For the vast majority of consumers, the mac and cheese is perfectly safe. However, for those with severe soy allergies or sensitivities, eating it could trigger symptoms ranging from hives and facial swelling to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
By the Numbers: Scope of the Recall
The scale of the distribution is extensive, reaching Aldi locations coast to coast. The breakdown of the inventory pulled from the supply chain shows just how deeply the product penetrated the market.
| Detail | Product Information |
| Product Name | Park Street Deli Macaroni & Cheese |
| Container Size | 20-ounce plastic tub inside a paperboard sleeve |
| Total Cases Recalled | 58,405 cases (9 packages per case) |
| Total Units Recalled | 525,645 individual packages |
| Distribution | Nationwide (Exclusively at Aldi) |
| FDA Recall Number | H-0940-2026 |
Fortunately, the FDA and broadcasters have confirmed that no illnesses have been reported in connection to the product.
How to Check Your Fridge
Because these 20-ounce comfort meals are sold refrigerated and have a prolonged shelf life, safety officials are worried that hundreds of thousands of units are still sitting in consumer refrigerators or freezers.
If you have purchased Park Street Deli Macaroni & Cheese recently, look for the manufacturer codes printed on the packaging. The FDA has listed dozens of impacted codes starting with “SUL”, including but not limited to:
-
SUL4839705,SUL4839706 -
SUL4853771,SUL4853772 -
SUL4854698,SUL4854700,SUL4854701 -
SUL4855698,SUL4855699,SUL4855700 -
SUL4857735,SUL4857736,SUL4857737 -
SUL4866750,SUL4866751,SUL4866752
Next Steps for Consumers
If you find an affected tub in your kitchen, food safety experts urge you not to consume it.
Instead, you should either throw the product away immediately or return it to your local Aldi store. Because this is an exclusive, store-branded item, Aldi will issue a full refund to customers upon return, no receipt required.
For further updates or specific inquiries regarding the lot codes, consumers are advised to check the official FDA recall database or contact Aldi Customer Service.
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