Mislabeled snacks have been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer over allergy fears, after being distributed to 10 states and Washington D.C., according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Clear plastic containers bearing a green label that said “Grabeez The Big Cheese Snack Mix” were sent to distribution centers in Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Texas, and sold in stores in Washington D.C., Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, between August 23 and September 19.
On September 23, the FDA announced the Truly Good Foods recall, warning that consumers risked “serious or life-threatening allergic reaction” from undeclared nuts, after a customer discovered almonds and cashews in a mislabeled cup. Newsweek has reached out to Truly Good Foods via email for comment.
The Big Cheese Snack Mix should contain flavored peanuts, mini pretzels, breadsticks, crackers and other similar items—but a Big Cheese cup was filled with Healthy Trails Mix: raisins, sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds and cashews.
An allergy to tree nuts—including almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts—is relatively common in the U.S., affecting an estimated one in 200 people, according to research published in scientific journal Nutrients.
Individuals who are affected by a tree nut allergy may experience symptoms such as itchy skin hives, lip swelling, itchy eyes, tightening throat, stomach pain, diarrhea, or coughing, when they eat or come into contact with tree nuts.
In severe cases, allergic reactions can cause anaphylaxis—a sudden, whole-body immune response, involving difficulty breathing, low blood pressure and shock—which can be life-threatening.
If someone is experiencing anaphylaxis, they need to be injected with epinephrine—another term for adrenaline, administered with an Epi-pen—and 911 should be called immediately.
To date, no illnesses have been reported in connection with this problem, which investigation by the FDA found to be caused by a temporary breakdown in the production and packaging processes of Truly Good Foods, the company that owns Grabeez.
The recall of Grabeez The Big Cheese Snack Mix applies only to products with the “best before” date 04/16/25 and the product code 0 94184 00439 8 stamped on the bottom.
Customers who have purchased the recalled products are being advised by the FDA to dispose of the product and visit www.trulygoodfoods.com/grabeezrecall for a full refund.
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Reference
Mandalari, G., Mackie, A. R. (2018). Almond Allergy: An Overview of on Prevalence, Thresholds, Regulations and Allergen Detection, Nutrients 10 (11): 1706. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111706
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