The popular frozen burrito you tossed into your Costco cart as a “safe” dinner shortcut may be sitting in your freezer with a hidden egg allergen inside.
Story Snapshot
- Red’s Steak, Cilantro and Lime Burritos sold at Costco were found to contain an undeclared egg allergen.
- A customer discovered breakfast burritos with egg inside boxes labeled as steak burritos, triggering a federal health alert.
- The burritos are no longer on shelves but may still be in home freezers in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
- People with egg allergies are urged not to eat them and to throw them away or return them for a refund.
Federal officials flag a hidden allergen in a familiar freezer favorite
United States Department of Agriculture food safety officials issued a public health alert after discovering that certain Red’s Steak, Cilantro and Lime Burritos contained egg that was not listed on the label.
The burritos were sold at Costco warehouse stores in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota, mainly in the frozen food section as three-pound green and white cartons that many shoppers grab for easy weeknight meals. Officials described egg as a “known allergen” and warned that the missing label information could pose a serious risk to people with egg allergies.
A labeling error has led the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue a public safety alert for frozen burritos made by a popular brand and sold in Costco stores. https://t.co/jOYvyXQA99
— FOX 5 NY (@fox5ny) July 29, 2026
The alert focuses on specific production details so shoppers can check what is in their freezers with precision. The affected burritos were produced on June 19 and carry the establishment mark “EST. 46069” inside the United States Department of Agriculture inspection seal.
They were sold both as individual frozen burritos and packed ten to a carton. Federal staff listed several lot codes printed on the box side so Costco members and families can match packages at home to the alert and decide what to keep and what to discard.
A sharp-eyed customer spots the problem before the hospital does
This alert did not start with a lab report or an emergency room visit. It started with a shopper who opened a box and realized that the “steak” burritos inside were actually breakfast burritos with egg. That customer contacted the company and flagged the mismatch between the label and what was inside.
The manufacturer then notified the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, which confirmed that egg was present in burritos labeled only as steak, cilantro and lime. In other words, a single consumer complaint likely prevented a much more serious story later.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service explained that some boxes were “inadvertently” packed with egg breakfast burritos instead of the promised steak version. That kind of mix-up often happens during packaging when different product runs share equipment and workers must clear the line and change labels between items.
When that process fails even briefly, the wrong product can end up in the right box, and allergen warnings on the label no longer match what is inside. Because people with egg allergies rely on label information to stay safe, that disconnect turns a cheap freezer meal into a real health risk.
Why an undeclared egg in a frozen burrito matters so much
Egg is one of the most common food allergens, especially in children, and can trigger reactions that range from hives to trouble breathing and, in rare but real cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis. When egg appears in a product without any warning on the label, people who avoid egg have no reason to suspect danger.
Regulators stress that the risk does not come from the burrito itself but from the surprise factor: families think they are buying a simple steak burrito and end up eating egg instead. That surprise can put parents in a panic during dinner.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service and media reports stressed that no confirmed illnesses or allergic reactions had been reported at the time of the alert. From a common-sense view, that detail matters. It signals that regulators acted before harm, not after headlines about children in the hospital.
This is how food safety should work. Consumers did their part by speaking up when something looked wrong, and federal inspectors did theirs by warning the public without waiting for someone to get hurt.
Why the alert stops short of a formal recall and what you should do
Even though the issue is serious, the United States Department of Agriculture did not request a formal recall of the Red’s burritos. Officials explained that the product was no longer being sold in Costco stores by the time the alert went out, so pulling it from shelves would not change the current risk.
The concern now is what remains “buried” in shoppers’ home freezers in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. That is where the real exposure sits: busy families who stocked up months ago and might thaw these burritos without ever seeing the news.
The guidance is direct and simple. People with egg allergies, or those cooking for someone who has one, should not eat the affected burritos. Instead, they are advised to throw them away or return them to Costco for a full refund.
A letter sent to Costco members underscored the point, urging customers “out of an abundance of caution” to avoid the product if they have any sensitivity to egg. For everyone else, this incident is a reminder to treat labels as important safety tools and to take public health alerts seriously, even when there are no dramatic injury numbers attached yet.
Sources:
foxbusiness.com, simplyrecipes.com, usatoday.com, foodsafetynews.com
