A nationwide cream cheese recall has hit supermarket shelves in 30 states and Washington, D.C., with popular grocery chains Aldi and Hy-Vee pulling products potentially tainted with salmonella, as reported by CBS News Detroit.

The culprit behind the recall is Schreiber Foods Inc., a cream cheese manufacturer that discovered one of its supplied ingredients might be infected with the salmonella bacteria; Aldi has recalled four types of its eight-ounce Happy Farms cream cheese spread, including whipped, chive & onion, plain, and strawberry with assorted sell-by dates extending into September 2024 and Hy-Vee has recalled its eight and 12-ounce spreads, as well as their cookies and cream snack mix that carries sell-by dates well into December 2024 as reported by NPR.

Consumers in affected states including but not limited to Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin have been warned of the infection risk presented by salmonella — symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting can be especially dangerous to vulnerable groups like the young, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals, USA Today reported, although no illness cases have been reported thus far connected to these recalled products.

Both Aldi and Hy-Vee have requested customers who have purchased any of the affected cream cheese products to either discard them or return them for a full refund, a precautionary step to prevent the spread of potential foodborne illness with Aldi directly advising consumers to reach out to Schreiber Foods through their hotline or email for more information regarding the recall, it's clear they're taking significant steps to mitigate the situation and ensure the safety of their customers.

While the extent of the problem is vast, spanning dozens of states, proactive measures by Aldi, Hy-Vee, and Schreiber Foods show an earnest effort to address the issue head-on — minimizing potential health risks posed by the contaminated goods which were identified thanks to vigilance in food safety protocols; they've pulled the problematic spreads from store shelves across the nation as they deal with the logistics of such an expansive recall, detailed instructions have been provided to those who might have purchased the items in question.