Shocking video of rodent in jar sparks urgent pepper recall. Duane Beckett Wed, September 30, 2026 at 5:30 AM PDT Mezzetta has voluntarily recalled one lot of its Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat after a social media video appeared to show a dead mouse inside a customer's jar. The company announced the limited recall on September 26, 2026. According to the FDA-posted company announcement, Mezzetta became aware of a video circulating online showing what it described as a "potential pest contaminant" in a 32-ounce jar. The company contacted the consumer involved and launched an investigation. I've seen plenty of unusual food recalls over the years, but this tops the bill. It definitely makes you want to check the jars sitting in the pantry. What is being recalled? The recall announcement only includes one specific lot. * Product: Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat * Size: Sold in 32-ounce jars * SKU: 10106328 * Lot: 720106 Delish reported that Mezzetta used its production and distribution records to identify where jars from the affected lot had been sent. The company then contacted customers that received the product so the affected jars could be isolated and removed from sale. That makes this a targeted recall rather than one involving every jar of the company's peperoncini. Why is Mezzetta recalling the peppers? A social media video prompted the investigation. The video footage appeared to show a dead mouse floating inside a jar of peperoncini. Mezzetta's official notice is more cautious, describing what was shown as a potential pest contaminant. One important distinction here is that the company's investigation was still ongoing when the recall was announced. Mezzetta requested the original jar so it could examine the product and said it was reviewing relevant production, sanitation and food-safety records. No illnesses or injuries had been reported as of September 26. According to Mezzetta, its facilities operate sanitation, pest-control, traceability and product-quality programs. Its quality management system is also audited under the Safe Quality Food program. Regardless, finding anything resembling a pest inside a sealed food product is enough reason to take the recall seriously. What should customers do if they have the recalled product? As mentioned, the recall is for one specific product. Start by checking the lot number, jar size, and exact product name. Anyone who has a 32-ounce jar of Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat with lot number 720106 should not eat the product. Customers with an affected jar should contact Mezzetta at [email protected] for assistance.

Peperoncini recalled after woman's disgusting find leads to contamination concerns. Carsen Holaday Wed, September 30, 2026 at 5:15 AM PDT * G.L. Mezzetta Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of a specific lot of 32-ounce Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat due to potential "foreign objects" found in the product. A popular brand of peperoncini peppers has been recalled after a woman claimed to find a disturbing surprise in a jar she bought. California-based food supplier G.L. Mezzetta Inc. issued a voluntary recall Saturday over potential "foreign objects" in a specific lot of 32-ounce Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, according to a release shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "For generations, families have trusted Mezzetta products on their tables," the release, which was shared on Mezzetta's website, said. "We take that trust seriously, which is why we want to share what we know." The company then acknowledged a recent viral video, saying: "We're aware of a video circulating on social media showing a potential pest contaminant in a jar of Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, 32-ounce. We have contacted the consumer and have moved quickly to investigate the situation and initiate a voluntary recall." Although the release did not specifically say what the "potential pest contaminant was," a woman alleged that there was a "dead baby mouse" in her product in a viral video shared September 16 on TikTok. "There's a dead baby mouse in my peperoncinis," the woman said in the series of clips, which were viewed by The Independent. She showed her 32-ounce jar, which had what appeared to be a tiny gray mouse about the size of a pepper floating in the product. "I found out after I had already licked my fingers," she said. Mezzetta said in its statement: "We have contacted the consumer and have moved quickly to investigate the situation and initiate a voluntary recall." The company said it has not received any reports of illness or injury. The recall only applies to one product: Mezzetta Golden Greek Peperoncini Medium Heat, 32-ounce, with the SKU code of 10106328 and lot number 720106. "We have detailed production and distribution records that allow us to identify where the product from the recall lot was distributed," the company announcement said, although the distributors were not named in the statement. A company spokesperson said in a statement shared with The Independent: "At this time, the recall is limited to one product from a single production lot." Mezzetta investigators have identified customers that received the recalled products and are "working directly with them to isolate and remove the affected product from sale," the statement said. The company added that it has requested the original contaminated product to review it as part of the investigation, and that it is "reviewing the relevant production, sanitation and food-safety records as part of our ongoing investigation." Customers who believe they have the recalled product should not eat the peperoncinis and are asked to contact Mezzetta for help. The company will update its recall page with any new information.