If you’re one of those people who stocks up on Giovanni Rana ravioli every time you hit Costco, you need to check your fridge and freezer right now. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service just issued a public health alert for a specific ravioli product sold at Costco stores in Maryland and New Jersey, and the reason is genuinely unsettling. What was supposed to be beef and burrata cheese ravioli actually contained shrimp ravioli in lobster sauce. Two completely different products, in the same packaging, with zero indication on the label that shellfish was inside.
Let’s break down exactly what happened, what products are affected, and what you should do if you have this in your kitchen.
The Exact Product You Need to Look For
The product under the alert is the 32-ounce plastic bag packages of Giovanni Rana RANA Rustic Beef Sauce & Creamy Burrata Cheese Ravioli. If you’ve got one of these in your fridge or freezer, flip it over and look for a few things. First, check the “use by” date. The affected packages have use-by dates ranging from 05/14/2026 through 06/25/2026. Second, look for the establishment number “Est. 44870” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the packaging. If your bag matches both of those details, you’ve got the product in question.
These ravioli were produced between March 10, 2026, and April 21, 2026. They were shipped exclusively to Costco retail stores in Maryland and New Jersey, so if you shop at a Costco in either of those states, this one’s directed at you.
How the Mix-Up Was Discovered
This wasn’t caught during a routine inspection or a lab test. The manufacturer, Giovanni Rana, found out the old-fashioned way: two customers complained. They opened up what they thought was beef and burrata ravioli and found shrimp ravioli in lobster sauce instead. After receiving those complaints, the company notified FSIS about the mix-up.
Think about that for a second. You buy a bag of ravioli that says “beef sauce and burrata cheese” on the front. You cook it up for dinner. And what comes out is filled with shrimp in lobster sauce. For most people, that’s just a weird and annoying surprise. But for anyone with a shellfish allergy, that surprise could send them to the emergency room. Shrimp and lobster are both classified as shellfish allergens, and they were completely absent from the label on these packages.
Why This Is a Public Health Alert and Not Technically a “Recall”
Here’s a detail that might confuse people. Technically, a formal recall was not requested for this product. The reason? The ravioli is no longer available for purchase at stores. It’s been pulled from shelves. So in the traditional sense, there’s nothing left on the sales floor to “recall.”
But the FSIS issued a public health alert anyway because they’re worried (and rightfully so) that consumers may still have the product sitting in their refrigerators or freezers at home. That’s the whole point of the alert. Just because a store stopped selling something doesn’t mean every bag has been eaten or thrown out. If you bought a couple bags on a Costco run in March or April, there’s a real chance one is still sitting in your freezer right now.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you have this product at home, the FSIS guidance is simple. Do not eat it. Either throw it away or return it to the Costco where you bought it. Costco is generally very good about accepting returns on recalled or alerted products, and you typically don’t even need your receipt since they keep electronic records of every purchase tied to your membership card.
According to federal officials, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions related to this product as of the time the alert was issued. That’s good news. But the alert is still active, and anyone who might have a shellfish allergy in their household should take it seriously. Even if you’re not allergic yourself, think about whether you’ve cooked this for guests or family members who might be.
The States and Stores Affected
This alert is limited in geographic scope. The affected Giovanni Rana ravioli was only shipped to Costco stores in two states: Maryland and New Jersey. If you shop at a Costco outside of those states, this particular alert doesn’t apply to you. That said, if you recently visited a Costco in either state (maybe you were traveling, or you live near the border of one of those states), it’s worth checking your freezer.
It’s also worth mentioning that Giovanni Rana is a well-known brand. They’re an Italian company that makes fresh, refrigerated pasta products, and you’ll find their stuff in a lot of grocery stores, not just Costco. But this alert is specifically about packages sold at Costco with the details listed above. If you bought Giovanni Rana ravioli at a different store, that’s a separate situation and not covered by this alert.
How Does Something Like This Even Happen?
A packaging or production error. That’s really all it comes down to. Somewhere in the manufacturing process, the wrong filling ended up inside the wrong packaging. Instead of beef sauce and burrata cheese getting sealed into those labeled bags, shrimp ravioli in lobster sauce wound up there instead. It’s the kind of mistake that sounds almost comically simple, but the consequences can be serious.
When you’re running a large-scale food production operation, you’re often making multiple products on the same lines, sometimes on the same day. A mix-up during a changeover, a mislabeled batch, a conveyor belt that didn’t get fully cleared between runs. Any of these could lead to the wrong product ending up in the wrong package. It’s not unique to Giovanni Rana or to Costco. It happens across the food industry. But when the wrong product contains a major allergen that isn’t declared on the label, it becomes a real problem fast.
A Quick Recap of Everything You Need to Know
Let’s put all the important details in one place so you can check quickly:
Product: Giovanni Rana RANA Rustic Beef Sauce & Creamy Burrata Cheese Ravioli, 32-ounce plastic bag.
Use-by dates: 05/14/2026 through 06/25/2026.
Establishment number: Est. 44870 (found inside the USDA mark of inspection).
Production dates: March 10, 2026, through April 21, 2026.
Where it was sold: Costco stores in Maryland and New Jersey only.
The problem: Packages labeled as beef and burrata ravioli may actually contain shrimp ravioli in lobster sauce. Shellfish (shrimp and lobster) are not declared on the label.
What to do: Do not eat the product. Throw it away or return it to Costco for a refund.
Why You Should Actually Pay Attention to Alerts Like This
I know, I know. It feels like there’s a new food recall or alert every other week. It’s easy to tune them out. But this one is a good example of why you shouldn’t. The packaging looks completely normal. The label says beef and cheese. There’s no visible sign that anything is wrong. You wouldn’t know the ravioli inside is a totally different product unless you either opened it and noticed, or you ate it and had a reaction.
For the average person without shellfish allergies, biting into unexpected shrimp ravioli is just a confusing dinner. For someone with a shellfish allergy, it’s potentially a trip to the hospital. And that’s exactly why the FSIS put out the alert even though the product is off shelves. They know people stockpile Costco purchases. That’s kind of the whole point of shopping there.
Check Your Freezer Before Dinner Tonight
If you shop at Costco in Maryland or New Jersey, take 30 seconds tonight and look through your fridge and freezer. Check for the Giovanni Rana beef and burrata ravioli in the 32-ounce bag. Look at the use-by date. If it falls between May 14 and June 25, 2026, don’t cook it. Toss it or bring it back to the store.
It’s a small thing, but it’s the kind of small thing that actually matters. And if you know someone who shops at Costco in those states, maybe send them this article. They might have one of these bags sitting in their freezer right now and have no idea.
