Dollar General shoppers warned: Popular coffee product reportedly recalled over glass hazard

Shoppers have been told to take a second look at their pantry-staple instant coffee after a recall warning. The issue concerns Clover Valley instant coffee sold at Dollar General: select batches might be hiding more than caffeine and contain bits of glass.

The recall was triggered when a customer flagged something alarming, prompting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to step in and issue notices nationwide. Luckily, there have been no reports of anyone actually getting hurt, but the risk is no joke.

FDA warns Dollar General shoppers about recalled Clover Valley coffee over glass risk

Here's the lowdown: Dollar General is recalling three specific lots of its eight-ounce Clover Valley® Instant Coffee after a customer spotted something suspicious and alerted store personnel. Those batches were sold between July 9 and July 21, 2025, across some 48 states, almost nationwide, but excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

The affected jars carry UPC 876941004069, and the problematic lot codes to keep an eye out for are:

• L-5163 (Best By 12/13/2026)
• L-5164 (Best By 12/13/2026)
• L-5165 (Best By 12/14/2026)

Here's where it gets sharply serious. The FDA warns that ingesting tiny glass pieces could lead to broken teeth, cuts in your mouth or throat, or even damage to your intestines. Though to date, no one has reported any injuries or illness.

Rather than sugar-coating things, Dollar General and regulators aren’t taking chances. Anyone who’s bought one of the recalled jars is urged to toss it and reach out to Dollar General for a refund. You can contact them by phone at 1-888-309-9030 (open 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. CST daily) or via email at customercare@dollargeneral.com.

While it's still unknown how the glass shards entered the coffee, a Dollar General spokeswoman said the company is "investigating the source of the glass contamination." We'll hopefully have a better grasp as the inquiry goes forward.

Stuff like this is enough to make you peer into every coffee jar a little longer. So if your shelf has one of those Clover Valley jars with matching lot codes, skip the morning jolt and get in touch with Dollar General for a refund. We’re all for that caffeine hit but not at the risk of chipping a tooth.