The Facts about Allergens and your Ingredients

The Facts about Allergens and your Ingredients

In 2014 the number one cause of food recalls was undeclared allergens. A food product with a label that omits required allergen information is misbranded and the FDA may seize products with undeclared allergens. The most common recall causing allergens are wheat, dairy and soy. The most common finished products recalled are baked goods, snack foods, candy, dairy products and sauces/dressings. More than half of all recalls are Class I which means there is a reasonable probability that exposure to a food product will result in serious adverse health consequences or death.

Recall Information can be found here:

FDA Reportable Food Registry

USDA FSIS Current Recalls and Alerts

In 2014, half of all undeclared allergen recalls were caused by an un-notified change in an ingredient by the supplier to a food manufacturer.

On December 26, 2014 a supplier of cumin forced hundreds of Class I recalls due to undeclared peanut. The source of peanut in cumin is known and levels in finished products are likely too low to cause a serious reaction. But the long lasting impact on a finicky consumer market remains, and none of the recall cases have been closed by FDA or USDA.