Pumpkin Tree Recalls 380,000 Kids' Fruit Pouches Sold at Target, Kroger and Meijer Over Plastic Risk

A children's snack company has voluntarily recalled roughly 380,000 fruit puree pouches sold nationwide after discovering that some packages may contain strands of soft plastic embedded inside the product, according to a notice published by the Food and Drug Administration.

PT Organics Limited, based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, announced the recall Tuesday for select lots of its Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana & Strawberry fruit puree pouches, a 4-ounce product marketed for children 6 months and older. The company said the issue stems from an internal packaging defect rather than any problem with the fruit puree itself.

What went wrong

According to the recall notice, the defect can allow a thin, soft strand of the pouch's inner packaging material to become detached and separate from the pouch when squeezed, potentially posing a choking or injury risk if ingested, particularly for infants and young children. PT Organics said the issue was traced back to its packaging supplier, which identified and recalled a production run of defective pouches last week after conducting its own internal investigation.

In a statement, PT Organics explained that the problem was isolated to a specific production run. "Our packaging supplier has conducted a thorough internal investigation and determined that the problem only affected one production run, on one line, and that the fault was an intermittent fault in pouches made on one of 4 lanes," the company said. PT Organics also credited its supplier for identifying the issue quickly, adding, "This is the first of its type in 20 years serving our customers, and we applaud them for acting quickly to notify us once they had identified a problem and recalling the affected production lot."

Which products are affected

The recall applies only to the Banana & Strawberry variety of Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics fruit puree pouches, sold in 4-ounce, or 113-gram, packages. The affected pouches were sold nationwide exclusively at Kroger, Meijer and Target stores between March 6 and July 13, 2026.

Consumers can identify recalled pouches by checking for a barcode reading 8 15367 01078 0, along with a lane number of 4 printed on the rear right-hand seam of the package. Affected pouches will also show one of six best-before dates: Jan. 19, 2027; Jan. 20, 2027; March 17, 2027; March 18, 2027; May 14, 2027; or May 15, 2027. All identifying information is stamped in black ink on the back of each individual pouch.

The company emphasized that the recall is narrowly targeted. No other Pumpkin Tree products, flavors or best-before dates are affected, and the company specifically noted that its similarly named Strawberry & Banana pouch, which some consumers might confuse with the recalled product, is not included in the recall.

No injuries reported

PT Organics said that as of the recall announcement, no injuries had been reported in connection with the defective pouches. Follow-up inspections conducted by the company on finished products made with the affected packaging confirmed that a strand of soft, food-grade plastic had become attached to the inside of a small number of pouches, though the company has not specified what percentage of the affected production run was impacted.

What parents and caregivers should do

The company is urging anyone with the recalled pouches in their home to stop using the product immediately. "Consumers or caregivers who have recalled product in their possession should dispose of it or return the product to the place of purchase," PT Organics said in its recall notice, adding a clear warning: "It should not be eaten or fed to another person."

Consumers can return the recalled pouches to the store where they were purchased for a refund, even if the packages have already been opened. Parents or caregivers who are concerned that a child may have already ingested plastic from an affected pouch are advised to contact their child's pediatrician. Anyone with questions about the recall can reach PT Organics' consumer support desk at 888-566-2363, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, or visit the company's website for additional information.

A pledge to prevent future issues

PT Organics said it is actively working with retailers and its packaging supplier to remove any remaining affected pouches from store shelves and is continuing to share identifying information with consumers to help them recognize compromised products. The company said it remains committed to transparency as its investigation continues. "We will continue to provide clear updates and support to consumers, retailers and regulators as we work to understand what went wrong and make sure it cannot happen again," the company said in a statement posted to its website.

Part of a broader stretch of recalls

The Pumpkin Tree recall arrives amid a string of other high-profile food and product recalls in recent months, including a separate recall of an allergy medication over a cross-contamination concern and last year's recall of an organic infant formula sold at Target after three infants were hospitalized with botulism poisoning following exposure to that product. While unrelated to those earlier incidents, the recall adds to a pattern of scrutiny facing children's food products this year, underscoring the importance of parents and caregivers regularly checking recall notices for items commonly found in household pantries.

PT Organics has not indicated whether additional lots or flavors could be affected as its investigation continues, though the company has maintained that the issue remains isolated to the single identified production run. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to check any Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana & Strawberry pouches in their homes against the identifying codes listed in the recall notice and to dispose of or return any matching products as a precaution.