What Preservatives Are Found in Costco's Rotisserie Chicken?
What preservatives are found in Costco's rotisserie chicken? The dispute concerns sodium phosphate and carrageenan.
In Johnston v. Costco, filed January 22, 2026 in Southern California federal court, plaintiffs allege those ingredients perform preservative functions despite past No Preservatives advertising. Costco rejects that theory, calls them seasoning components and says they support moisture retention, texture and consistency during cooking. It also says FDA classifies carrageenan as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener rather than a preservative. Those are the parties’ positions, not a preservative verdict from 2table. Our October 29 source review located no merits ruling or settlement; the public docket copy checked stops at June 29, so it cannot establish today’s complete case status. Costco reports removing the disputed advertising. Check the sign in your own warehouse.
Johnston v. Costco, case 3:26-cv-00403, US District Court for the Southern District of California. Party allegations and reported company responses are kept separate from court findings. Source review dated October 29, 2026; the accessible docket copy was last retrieved June 29.
Chlorine-washed chicken FAQ: all questions answered
What do the plaintiffs allege?
Almeida Law Group’s January 23 announcement describes the plaintiffs’ claim that sodium phosphate and carrageenan perform preservative functions despite No Preservatives marketing. The challenged functions include delaying spoilage and maintaining the product. This is the plaintiffs’ theory, not a court finding. The disputed list here is limited to those two ingredients.
Scroll sideways to compare every column.
| Statement | Who says it | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium phosphate and carrageenan perform preservative functions | Plaintiffs, through Almeida Law Group | An allegation about the two ingredients and past marketing. |
| The ingredients are seasoning components | Costco, as reported by Arizona Republic | The company’s competing account of their function. |
| FDA classifies carrageenan as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener | Costco’s argument, reported by Arizona Republic | An attributed company argument, not a court resolution here. |
| June 4 dismissal motion and later briefing | Docket entries in Justia’s June 29 copy | Procedural activity in a dated copy, not proof of the current outcome. |
Keep allegations, company arguments and dated docket entries separate. None of these rows is a finding that resolves the preservative dispute.
Almeida Law Group: plaintiffs’ allegations, January 23, 2026 (party statement)
What does Costco say?
Arizona Republic’s June 13, 2026 report quotes Costco calling the theory “fatally flawed.” It reports the company’s position that the ingredients belong to the seasoning mix and are used for moisture retention, texture and product consistency during cooking.
Arizona Republic, June 13, 2026: Costco’s response (via AOL)
What does the available case record show?
Justia’s docket copy identifies a January 22, 2026 filing in the Southern District of California and a June 4 motion to dismiss, followed by briefing. The copy explicitly says it was last retrieved June 29, 2026.
As of our October 29 source review, no merits ruling or settlement was located in the reviewed material. That is a search result with a dated-record limit, not confirmation that no later order or agreement exists. The allegations and requested relief do not establish a settlement, payout or claim form.
Is No Preservatives still on the sign?
The June report says Costco announced removal of the disputed signage in January. That does not inspect the sign at every warehouse today or establish a change in the ingredient formula. Check the sign in your own warehouse and read the container’s ingredient panel as separate pieces of evidence.
Arizona Republic, June 13, 2026: Costco’s response (via AOL)
Keep the label questions separate
For the full ingredient transcription, use the separate whole-bird label page. Ingredient names alone do not document every processing step. The Costco wash review and generic chilling-versus-washing explanation cover separate questions.
Read the full Costco whole-bird ingredient transcription
Sources
Related questions
Has this page established that the two ingredients are preservatives?
No. It distinguishes the plaintiffs’ allegations from Costco’s response. Neither side’s position is presented as a court finding or 2table’s preservative verdict.
Does removing advertising mean the recipe changed?
The reported signage removal does not itself establish a recipe change. Compare the sign and exact container label separately.
Does the lawsuit establish a settlement or payout?
Allegations and requests for relief do not establish a settlement or payout. No merits ruling or settlement was located in this review; the available docket copy stops at June 29, 2026.