More than 380,000 fruit puree pouches marketed for children six months and older are being recalled because a packaging defect may have left strands of soft plastic inside the food.
PT Organics Limited of Lake Oswego, Oregon, is voluntarily recalling select Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana and Strawberry 4-ounce pouches, according to the company announcement posted by the FDA. The recall cites an internal packaging defect that may result in "a strand of soft, food-grade plastic in the finished product."
No injuries have been reported.
The pouches were sold exclusively at Kroger, Meijer, and Target stores nationwide between March 6 and July 13 of this year. Because these are shelf-stable pouches with best-before dates running into 2027, many are likely still sitting in pantries and diaper bags.
The Flavor Name Is the Trap
This is the detail most worth reading carefully, because two products from the same brand look almost identical and only one is recalled.
The recalled product is Banana and Strawberry. Pumpkin Tree also sells a Strawberry and Banana pouch, which is not affected. A company spokesperson told Consumer Reports that "the Strawberry & Banana is not being recalled," instead pointing to the specific identifiers on the recalled version.
Reading the flavor name alone is not enough. Check the codes.
Recalled pouches are stamped in black ink on the back and carry all three of the following: barcode 8 15367 01078 0; lane number 4, printed on the rear right-hand side seam; and a best-before date of 01/19/2027, 01/20/2027, 03/17/2027, 03/18/2027, 05/14/2027, or 05/15/2027.
The unaffected Strawberry and Banana pouch carries a different barcode, 8 15367 010100. No other Pumpkin Tree products or flavors are included in the recall.
If your pouch matches all three recalled identifiers, do not eat it and do not feed it to a child.
What Went Wrong
The recall did not begin with a customer complaint. It began upstream.
PT Organics' packaging supplier recalled a production run of defective pouches. PT Organics then inspected finished product made with that packaging and confirmed the presence of a strand of soft, food-grade plastic attached to the inside of a small number of pouches.
The defect is in the pouch lining rather than the fruit. Thin strands of plastic from the packaging interior can end up in the puree when the pouch is squeezed, which is how a packaging problem becomes a food problem.
"Food-grade" is worth understanding precisely. It means the material is approved for food contact and is not itself toxic. It does not mean swallowing a strand of it is harmless. The concern with foreign material in a product designed for infants and toddlers is physical rather than chemical: a strand of plastic in a child who is still developing the ability to manage textures presents a choking and injury risk.
That risk profile is why this recall matters more than the same defect would in an adult product. The intended consumer is six months and older, an age group that cannot report what is in their mouth.
What Parents Should Do Now
Check your pantry and the places where pouches accumulate: the diaper bag, the car, the daycare cubby, the grandparents' cupboard.
If a pouch matches the recalled codes, you can return it to the store where you purchased it for a refund, including opened pouches, or throw it away. Retailers have been notified and are pulling stock.
If your child already ate one of the recalled pouches and seems well, no specific action is required beyond stopping use. If you are concerned your child may have swallowed plastic, contact your pediatrician.
Seek urgent medical care for signs of choking or airway obstruction: coughing that will not stop, gagging, drooling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, noisy breathing, or refusal to eat or drink. Call 911 if a child cannot cough, cry, or breathe.
Questions about the recall go to Pumpkin Tree's consumer support line at 888-566-2363, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, or to pumpkintreesnacks.com.
You can also report a problem with a food product directly to the FDA through its consumer complaint system, which is how many recalls begin.
The company said it is removing the products from the marketplace and working with retailers and its packaging supplier, and that it will continue to provide updates. In contrast, it works to understand what went wrong.
Why Pouches Get Recalled More Than You Might Expect
Squeeze pouches are a relatively young product category, and their failure modes are specific to their construction.
A pouch is a multi-layer laminate with a spout fitting welded on, which means there are seams, films, and a fitment that can each fail in ways a glass jar cannot. Packaging-related recalls in this category have included spout and cap components, seal failures allowing spoilage, and, as here, material from the pouch interior separating into the food.
None of that makes pouches unsafe as a category, and they remain a convenient option for feeding away from home. It does mean the recall notices are worth reading rather than skimming, because the identifying details are often a lane number or a date code, rather than anything visible on the front of the package.
For anyone who wants to catch these earlier, the FDA maintains a recalls and safety alerts page that can be checked or subscribed to, and Consumer Reports and state health departments often flag child-product recalls faster than a store shelf tag appears.
The confirmed situation is a voluntary nationwide recall of one flavor of one 4-ounce pouch, with no injuries reported. The children most affected are infants and toddlers from six months old, the intended consumers. The most reasonable action is to check the barcode, lane number, and best-before date rather than the flavor name, and to return or discard matching pouches. The central uncertainty is how many of the 380,000 pouches remain in homes, since the best-before dates run well into 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which product is recalled? Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana and Strawberry Fruit Puree Pouches, 4 ounces, from PT Organics Limited. No other Pumpkin Tree products or flavors are affected.
How do I identify a recalled pouch? Look on the back for barcode 8 15367 01078 0, lane number 4 on the rear right-hand side seam, and a best-before date of 01/19/2027, 01/20/2027, 03/17/2027, 03/18/2027, 05/14/2027, or 05/15/2027.
Is the Strawberry and Banana flavor recalled? No. Only Banana and Strawberry are affected. The Strawberry and Banana pouch carries a different barcode and is not part of the recall, which is why checking codes rather than the flavor name matters.
Where were they sold? Exclusively at Kroger, Meijer, and Target stores nationwide, between March 6 and July 13, 2026.
Has anyone been hurt? No injuries have been reported in connection with the recall.
What if my child already ate one? If your child seems well, stop using the product. If you are concerned they may have swallowed plastic, contact your pediatrician. Seek urgent care for choking signs or difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Can I get a refund? Yes. Recalled pouches can be returned to the store where they were purchased, including opened ones, or discarded. Questions go to 888-566-2363.
