A Cincinnati company pulls its garlic-infused extra virgin oil after regulators flag an ingredient never meant for the stove.
That bottle of garlic-infused olive oil sitting in your pantry might be hiding more than flavor. Federal regulators have confirmed a voluntary recall tied to an ingredient that was never cleared for cooking in the first place, and the news is rattling home cooks who trusted the label.
What Triggered the Recall
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on August 31 that LMSI LLC, doing business as Kofinas Olive Oil, is voluntarily pulling its Garlic Mediterranean Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil from shelves. Regulators say the product relied on a garlic essential oil that lacks approval for culinary use. The agency has not detailed the exact compound involved, but it is urging anyone who purchased the oil to watch closely for symptoms of an allergic reaction or foodborne illness and to see a doctor if anything feels off.
According to a product listing that matches the recalled item’s description, the oil was blended with dried garlic, basil, rosemary and thyme. As of now, federal officials say they have not received any reports of people getting sick from the product, and Kofinas had not posted a public notice about the recall on its own website at the time of the announcement.
Why This Recall Matters
Foodborne illness is no small inconvenience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever among the telltale signs, and infused oils in particular carry added risk because unauthorized additives can behave unpredictably once they hit a hot pan. That is precisely why the FDA treats culinary-use approval as a hard line rather than a formality, and why this recall, even without confirmed illnesses, is being taken seriously.
Where the Bottles Were Sold
The recall’s footprint appears limited but specific. Bottles sold between August 31, 2025, and August 27, 2026, reached customers at two Cincinnati-area locations:
- Montgomery Store & Infusion Kitchen, 8210 Market Place Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45242
- Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
The oil was also available directly through the company’s website, packaged in glass bottles in three sizes: 500 milliliters, 250 milliliters and 100 milliliters. Anyone holding one of those bottles should check it against the recall details before using it again.
What Consumers Should Do Next
The FDA is advising customers who bought the affected oil to skip using it and instead pursue a refund. Anyone who experiences a reaction after consuming the product is being asked to report it directly to the company so officials can track any emerging pattern. For now, the situation remains fluid, and shoppers in the Cincinnati area are being told to stay alert rather than assume the worst — or the best.
Recalls like this one are a reminder that even niche, artisanal products marketed as premium can carry hidden risks that have nothing to do with spoilage or contamination in the traditional sense. Sometimes the danger is baked into the formula itself.
Source: The Healthy
