The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has elevated the risk level of a recent cookie recall to Class I—the highest and most serious category—amid concerns over undeclared allergens.
New Grains Gluten Free Bakery announced a product recall that was publicized by the FDA earlier in May. The company found that some of its baked goods, including four types of cookie, may contain eggs, soy, or milk, despite consumers not being advised of this.
Newsweek has contacted New Grains Gluten Free Bakery for comment via online form.
Why It Matters
According to the FDA, millions of people in the U.S. have food allergies or food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can range from mild reactions to potentially life-threatening symptoms. The FDA recognizes nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, sesame, fish, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
The inclusion of these ingredients in a product without proper disclosure poses a serious risk of allergic reactions, which can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
What To Know
The affected products, which include gluten-free varieties of Chocolate Chip, Frosted Sugar, Coconut Macaroon, and Brownie Chocolate Chip cookies, were found to contain undeclared allergens such as egg, milk, and soy.
These allergens were not properly identified on the packaging due to print quality issues that rendered ingredient lists and allergen warnings either unreadable or missing.
Compounding the problem, the lot codes and date codes printed on the cookie packaging were also unreadable or absent, making it difficult for consumers and retailers to identify and isolate affected batches.
The FDA’s Class I designation applies to recalls where there is a reasonable chance a product could cause serious health consequences or death.
The cookies were sold in clear plastic bags with net weights of four ounces, containing six or eight cookies per package, depending on the variety, and were distributed in Utah.
The bakery’s website says its mission is to “create and deliver high-quality, healthy, and delicious gluten-free products to our customers, and make every eating experience satisfying, exceeding their expectations.”
Product recalls are issued by manufacturers if there are concerns that a food may be harmful in some way; such as when testing reveals that products are infected with potentially harmful bacteria, or amid fears that they could be contaminated with a foreign object from the manufacturing process.
No illnesses have been reported to date.
Earlier this month, New Grains Gluten Free Bakery announced that it was recalling several of its products, including breads, bagels and croutons, because they may contain undeclared eggs, soy, and milk.
What Happens Next
Consumers who have purchased the affected products are urged not to consume them and to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Consumers with questions may contact New Grains Gluten Free Bakery at 801-980-5751 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. MST, Monday through Friday.
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