Mezzetta pulled one lot of Golden Greek peperoncini after a customer’s TikTok video showed what looked like a dead mouse in the jar, and she said she had already licked her fingers.
A social media video that surfaced Sept. 16 set off a product recall of pickled chili peppers sold under the Mezzetta brand, Fox Business reported.
G.L. Mezzetta Inc. issued a notice covering a single lot of Mezzetta Brand Golden Greek Peperoncini after the customer filmed what appeared to be a dead mouse inside a 32-ounce jar. Federal regulators announced the recall last week. No illnesses or injuries have been reported.
The woman, posting on TikTok, said she spotted the problem while getting dinner ready. She held up the jar on camera and described the find in blunt terms.
"There's a dead baby mouse in my peperoncinis,"
she said in the video. She added another detail that made the clip hard to ignore:
"Found out after I already licked my fingers,"
The company treated the post as a food-safety alert, not a joke.
Mezzetta’s notice names lot 720106, SKU 10106328, Mezzetta Brand Golden Greek Peperoncini, Medium Heat, in the 32-ounce size. No other Mezzetta products or lots are included.
In the recall language, the company said it moved fast once the video spread.
"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,"
the notice stated. It continued:
"We immediately took action to identify where the product was distributed and worked with affected customers to isolate and remove it from sale. As our investigation continues, we’ll take other appropriate steps as needed,"
Mezzetta also stressed routine controls at its plants.
"Food safety is our highest priority. Our facilities follow established programs for sanitation, pest control, product quality and traceability designed to protect our products throughout production and distribution,"
the company said.
Officials asked to retrieve and examine the original jar from the video. Shoppers who bought the affected lot were told not to eat the peppers and to email [email protected]. The firm contacted people who purchased from the same batch and worked with retailers to get the product off shelves while the probe continues.
The public record in the notice leaves several practical questions open. The specific federal agency tied to the announcement is not named in the coverage. The calendar date of the notice is given only as “last week.” No city or plant location is listed for the customer, the factory, or the stores that received lot 720106.
The object in the jar is described as a “potential pest contaminant” and, by the customer, as a “dead baby mouse.” Lab confirmation after company examination is not reported. Unit counts for the lot, how many jars shipped, how many recovered, are not in the notice language released so far.
Fox Business said it sought more comment from Mezzetta beyond the recall text.
For families who keep jarred peppers in the pantry, the checklist is simple: match the lot and SKU, do not consume the recalled product, and contact the company if that jar is in the house. A single viral kitchen video forced a national brand to isolate a batch, tell buyers to stop eating it, and keep the investigation open, which is exactly how a food company is supposed to answer when something that should never be in a sealed jar shows up on camera.
