Why Meat Is One Of The Most Returned Items At Costco - Tasting Table

"Beyond its store-brand items and famous food court, one of Costco's most defining traits is its generous return policy. Save for a few restrictions, you can return pretty much anything to the store, including perishable foods like meat. If that sounds a little out there to you, you'll be surprised to learn that meat ranks among the most frequently returned foods at Costco, mainly due to quality issues."

"Costco offers many top-value cuts of meat that are delicious when fresh, but dig around, and you'll find some controversies about the store's offerings. For one case, the popular Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken took a hit to its reputation in 2024, when scores of buyers found yellow-green meat inside the birds. Shoppers suspected Green Muscle Disease, a medical issue common to farmed chickens."

"In 2025, yet more Costco customers complained about repeatedly finding "woody" raw chicken breasts. "Woody" meat is also the result of health defects in chickens, and like tree wood, the meat is tough, fibrous, and even crunchy. One Reddit user who encountered the problem said, "I just returned [my chicken] ... and the lady said 'I've had so many people return this!'""

"Technically, there was no need to panic if your Costco chicken was green or woody, as meat affected by these issues is generally still safe to eat. But the same can't be said for chicken that smells rotten as soon as it's opened, which many Costco customers have also complained of. We can't blame shoppers for returning these products in droves."

Costco allows returns of most items, including perishable meats, and meat is among the most frequently returned product categories due to quality concerns. Customers reported Kirkland rotisserie chickens with yellow-green meat in 2024, suspected to be Green Muscle Disease. In 2025, shoppers reported repeatedly finding "woody" raw chicken breasts that are tough and fibrous from health defects. Reports of chicken that smells rotten prompted mass returns because such products may be unsafe. Beginning in 2024 some customers also noted a decline in ribeye quality, describing steaks as chewy and lower-quality than before.

Read at Tasting Table