A Michigan-based company is recalling selected candy bars due to possible undeclared allergens, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced.
Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory issued a voluntary recall on October 24 for specific lots of its Peanut Butter Crush bars due to potential undeclared cashews, and specific lots of its Ca$hew Cow bars due to possible undeclared peanuts.
Newsweek contacted Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory via its website outside of regular working hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The FDA said that people with allergies or severe sensitivities to cashews or peanuts “run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.”
Peanuts and tree nuts, which include cashews, are two of the nine major food allergens as defined in law. The others include eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
Allergic reactions vary in severity from mild symptoms—such as hives and lip swelling—to life-threatening complications, such as anaphylaxis, that may include fatal respiratory problems.
What To Know
The products affected by the recall are the following:
- Zingerman’s Peanut Butter Crush Full Size Bars—Lot number: 17425
- Zingerman’s Ca$hew Cow Full Size Bars—Lot number: 174250
The products were distributed to retailers and stores in Michigan and New York.
The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the Peanut Butter Crush Bars—which contain cashews—were distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of the nuts.
The FDA added that the Ca$hew Cow bars may have also been distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of peanuts.
Investigations later indicated that the issue was caused by a “temporary breakdown in the production and packaging process,” the FDA said.
As of October 27, no illnesses had been reported in connection with the consumption of the affected products.
What People Are Saying
Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory said in the FDA recall notice: “Steps have been taken to ensure this problem has been resolved.”
The FDA says on its website: “People with food allergies should read labels and avoid the foods they are allergic to. The law requires that food labels identify the food source of all major food allergens used to make the food.”
Dr. Sebastian Lighvani, the director of New York Allergy & Asthma PLLC, previously told Newsweek: “Every three minutes in the United States, someone ends up in an emergency room because of an allergic reaction after accidental ingestion of food. So even when we try hard, these reactions are happening. And if you look at the incidence of anaphylaxis, it has skyrocketed in the last five, 10, 20 years. And in the U.S., there’s like a 300 to 400 percent increase in the rates of anaphylaxis to foods.”
What Happens Next
The recall is listed as ongoing, according to the FDA.
Consumers have been urged to return the recalled products to the place of purchase for a full refund.
