The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the highest-risk warning for a countrywide recall of chocolate goods. Pennsylvania-based Weaver Nut Company, Inc. issued a voluntary recall on June 17 for particular lots of its semi-sweet chocolate nonpareils because they may contain undeclared milk, a major food allergy.
Why It’s Important
A Class I risk designation is “a situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death,” the FDA said.
The product contained undeclared milk, one of nine major food allergens identified by law, which is why the recall was issued. The rest are eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
The FDA cautioned that individuals who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk “may be at risk for a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the affected products.”
Allergic reactions can range from minor, such as hives and swelling of the lips, to severe and life-threatening, such as anaphylaxis, which can cause fatal breathing issues.
Things to know
The recall affects the following products:
Nonpareil, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Christmas Seeds) 849 cases item number: 47518 lot numbers: 204206, 204207, 204208, 204209, 204212, 224225
Nonpareils, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (White Seeds) – 1760 cases Item number: D2645 Lot numbers: 204214-RL, 204214, 204215, 224221, 224222, 224223, 135215, 135216, 135217, 135220, 135221, 145204, 145205-1, 145207-1, 145210-1
The items were offered at various grocery and retail locations, and shipped to customers nationwide.
The FDA stated the issue was detected after a wholesale customer filed a complaint alleging deviations with the product requirements.
Further tests in the laboratory revealed that milk was in the chocolates, which were labelled as free from milk, it added.
As of June 17, no illnesses have been documented associated with consumption of the items.
What Others Are Saying
In a statement issued to Newsweek, Weaver Nut Company Inc. said, “Weaver Nut Company is working with the FDA and taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of its products.”
“People with food allergies should read labels and avoid the foods they are allergic to,” the FDA wrote on its website. The law requires food labels to indicate the food source of all major food allergens used to create the meal.”
Dr. Sebastian Lighvani, head of New York Allergy & Asthma PLLC, recently told Newsweek: “Every three minutes in the United States, somebody ends up in an ER because of an allergic reaction after accidentally eating food. So they occur even when we are trying so hard. And if you look at the incidence of anaphylaxis, it is over the roof in the last five, 10, 20 years. And in the US you’ve seen something like a 300 to 400 percent increase in rates of anaphylaxis to foods.”
And Then What?
The FDA said the recall is classified as continuing. Consumers with a milk allergy who purchased the products should immediately destroy them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
