Dive Brief:
- Mars Chocolate North America has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 6,700 cases of 24.0 oz. bags of Dove Chocolate Assortment Snowflakes due to possible contamination of peanuts, wheat, and eggs, which are allergens not declared on the product's label.
- The contamination comes from pieces of Snickers, Milky Way, and Twix that may have been mixed into the Dove chocolates during production.
- The product is a seasonal item sold between Sept. 19 and Dec. 1 only at Wal-Mart locations in 35 states across the U.S.
Dive Insight:
The recall was put into action when a consumer found a piece of Snickers in the Dove chocolate product.
While no adverse reactions have been reported, the contamination could be a serious issue for those with severe allergies to peanuts, wheat, and eggs, three of the eight most common food ingredient allergens, which must be labeled on products to alert those who are allergic to them.
General Mills also instituted a recent recall for 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios due to contamination of gluten-free Cheerios with wheat during production, another allergen scare for those with celiac disease or who are gluten-intolerant.
USDA's FSIS recently released new guidance regarding the labeling of food allergens.
The rise in cases of food allergies across the U.S. has led to the free-from foods' market expansion, which includes products that are free from allergens and often other ingredients deemed unhealthy to some consumers, such as gluten and GMOs.