Checking your pantry just became urgent for Meijer shoppers across six Midwestern states, where contaminated distilled water contains an unidentified floating black substance. The grocery chain voluntarily recalled 38,043 gallons of its Steam Distilled Water after discovering the mystery contamination, affecting products distributed to stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
The recall, initiated November 13 and ongoing as of January 2026, targets one-gallon plastic jugs with red lids sold in four-packs. No illnesses have been reported, but health guidance warns against consuming any beverage containing visible foreign material due to potential gastrointestinal risks.
What Products Are Affected
If you bought Meijer Steam Distilled Water recently, check for these specific details:
- UPC code: 041250841197
- Lot code: 39-222 #3
- Sell-by date: October 4, 2026
- Package: 128 fluid-ounce jugs with red plastic lids
- Sold in: Cases of four gallons
Safety Questions Remain Unanswered
Here’s what’s troubling: neither Meijer nor the FDA has disclosed what the black substance actually is. They haven’t revealed how the contamination was discovered, whether it occurred during production or packaging, or assigned a recall classification that would indicate risk levels.
FDA recall classifications range from Class I (high risk of serious health consequences) to Class III (unlikely to cause harm). Without this designation, consumers can’t gauge the actual danger. The FDA advises that products containing “visible foreign material” shouldn’t be consumed due to potential stomach issues.
This opacity feels particularly unsettling given distilled water’s widespread use in CPAP machines, baby formula preparation, and cooking—applications where purity matters most. The substance’s mysterious nature raises questions about quality control in what should be the simplest possible product: purified water.
You should return affected products to any Meijer store for a full refund. Keep monitoring Meijer and FDA announcements for updates on the investigation and any additional product lots that might be affected.
The bigger question lingers: in an age where we can trace a restaurant salad’s journey from farm to plate, why can’t we get straight answers about unidentified black substance floating in our water? The lack of transparency around this contamination raises serious quality control concerns.
