Food recalls
Food recalls in March 2021
The FDA listed 34 food recalls in its March 2021 Enforcement Reports, 2 more than in February 2021 (32) and 13 fewer than in March 2020 (47). 11 were Class I, the most serious kind. The most common reason was allergen not on the label (15).
Food recalls
34
Reports through March 31, 2021
Class I, the most serious
11
Could cause serious harm or death
February 2021
32
47 in March 2020
Every food recall in March 2021
Newest first, by the date of the weekly FDA Enforcement Report that first listed it. FDA's own words are in quotes.
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Class I (most serious)
Listeria. “Product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.”
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Class I (most serious)
Salmonella. “Possible Salmonella contamination in roasted peanut splits”
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Class I (most serious)
Allergen not on the label. “Gelson's Yogurt Raisins may contain yogurt peanuts.”
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Class II
Lehi Valley Trading Co, Inc (Mesa, AZ): Buc-ee's Butter Toffee Almonds
Allergen not on the label. “Butter Toffee Peanuts mislabeled as Butter Toffee Almonds”
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Class II
Mindo Chocolate Makers LLC (Dexter, MI): Mindo COFFEE TOFFEE CHOCOLATE BAR
Allergen not on the label. “Undeclared milk”
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Class II
Allergen not on the label. “Undeclared Soy Lecithin. Croissant contains Margarine (Soy Lecithin) but finished Croissant sandwich product label does not declare Soy Lecithin.”
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Class I (most serious)
Flying Food Group LLC (Newark, NJ): Amazon Kitchen, Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich
Allergen not on the label. “Flying Food Group, LLC , initiated a recall of Amazon Kitchen Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich . The soy allergen is undeclared on the finish product label. The label does have the following statement "Prepared on shared equipment with other foods that contain eggs, fish, milk, peanut, shellfish,...”
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Class I (most serious)
Salmonella. “Product tested positive for Salmonella.”
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Class I (most serious)
Mediterranean Food, Inc. (Warren, MI): Alqosh Sesame Oil "Tahin" packaged in 2lb plastic jars
Salmonella. “Product tested positive for Salmonella.”
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Class I (most serious)
Seafood Imports Distributors Inc. (San Diego, CA): Java Frozen Tuna Steaks - 10 oz
Salmonella. “FDA Sample found Salmonella in one lot of 10 oz. frozen tuna steaks.”
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Class II
Allergen not on the label. “Undeclared pecans in chocolate covered pretzels”
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Class III (least serious)
Laboratorios Pisa Sa De Cv (Guadalajara, Mexico): Electrolit Fruit Punch Zero (2 products)
Other ingredient not on the label (sulfites, dyes...). “Product contains undeclared FD&C Red No. 40.”
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Class III (least serious)
Allergen not on the label. “Pasteurized donor human milk may contain trace amounts of dextromethorphan.”
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Class II
GREEN CITY DISTRIBUTION (Dearborn, MI): Al-Riyan Tuna Meat in Vegetable oil 7 oz
“High levels of histamines”
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Class II
HU PRODUCTS (New York, NY): Hu***CHOCOLATE-COVERED HUNKS SOUR GOLDENBERRIES***Net Wt
Allergen not on the label. “Product may contain undeclared almonds.”
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Class II
Westminster Cracker Inc. (Rutland, VT): Old Cape Cod Soup and Chowder Oyster Crackers - 8oz Box
Metal, plastic, glass or other objects. “Product may contain hard plastic foreign object.”
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Class III (least serious)
Labeling, packaging or manufacturing problems. “Rancidity and packaging integrity defects in GF sprouted rolled oats”
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Class III (least serious)
THE SAPPHIRE EXCHANGE (Edgewater, FL): YUM CRUMBS, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Other ingredient not on the label (sulfites, dyes...). “Undeclared Red #40”
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Class I (most serious)
Thompson Brands LLC (Meriden, CT): 1
Salmonella. “Products are potentially contaminated with Salmonella.”
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Class II
Other germs or toxins (botulism, hepatitis A, mold...). “Possible contamination with Cyclospora in basil”
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Class II
Urban Remedy (Richmond, CA): Urban Remedy Organic Cacao Mocha Cold Brew Coffee (2 products)
Allergen not on the label. “Firm discovered that labeling had been switched for two products on one day of production - undeclared almonds and cashews.”
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Class II
VALLARTA ORGANIC LLC (Coral Gables, FL): ALBAHACA ORGANICA/BASIL
Other germs or toxins (botulism, hepatitis A, mold...). “Organic Basil contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis”
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Class III (least serious)
Other ingredient not on the label (sulfites, dyes...). “Undeclared ingredients on retail packaging, including but not limited to certified colors Red #40 and Blue #1”
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Class I (most serious)
Barbara's Orchard/Delicae Gourmet (Tarpon Springs, FL): Thai Peanut Sauce (3 products)
Allergen not on the label. “Undeclared allergen: Shrimp”
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Class I (most serious)
Allergen not on the label. “undeclared cashews and almonds.”
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Class I (most serious)
Hong Thai Foods Corp (Brooklyn, NY): Golden Boy Custard Muffin Banana 220 grams/7.76 ounce packages
Allergen not on the label. “Muffin contains undeclared milk discovered via NY state sampling.”
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Class II
Other germs or toxins (botulism, hepatitis A, mold...). “Potential for Clostridium botulinum. Products were produced and sold without licensure and regulatory oversight.”
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Class II
Allergen not on the label. “QA Allergen check by manufacturer noticed that Soy lecithin was not declared on the label.”
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Class II
Allergen not on the label. “Potential undeclared allergens (wheat and tree nuts)”
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Class II
Litehouse Inc (Sandpoint, ID): Brite Harbor Caesar Dressing & Dip
Other ingredient not on the label (sulfites, dyes...). “Undeclared anchovies”
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Class II
Publix Super Markets, Inc. (Lakeland, FL): Publix Steam in Bag Season Butternut Medley (3 products)
Listeria. “Cubed butternut squash used in the preparation of three of the firm's products is potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.”
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Class II
Water Gardens Confections LLC (Orem, UT): Macey's Kong Popcorn
Metal, plastic, glass or other objects. “Small round fragments of plastic, the size of a dime, were found in the plastic bag during packaging. They had been left in the bag by the package manufacturer.”
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Class III (least serious)
Other germs or toxins (botulism, hepatitis A, mold...). “The firm received a consumer complaints that the product was spoiled.”
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Class III (least serious)
Allergen not on the label. “Incorrect labeling on bottom of packaging (undeclared peanuts).”
Why food was recalled in March 2021
Chartly groups FDA's written reasons by their key words; each recall counts once, under its first matching reason.
| Reason | Recalls |
|---|---|
| Allergen not on the label | 15 |
| Salmonella | 5 |
| Other germs or toxins (botulism, hepatitis A, mold...) | 4 |
| Other ingredient not on the label (sulfites, dyes...) | 4 |
| Listeria | 2 |
| Metal, plastic, glass or other objects | 2 |
| Labeling, packaging or manufacturing problems | 1 |
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Source and notes
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Enforcement Reports (openFDA food recall data) (Public domain (U.S. government work); source U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA), data as of March 31, 2021.
Each week the FDA lists the recalls it has classified in its Enforcement Report, often weeks after the company announced the recall, so a month with five weekly reports tends to count more. Each recall counts once, however many products it covers, in the month FDA first listed it. Class I means the food could cause serious harm or death, Class II temporary or minor harm, and Class III is unlikely to harm anyone. Meat, poultry and most egg products are recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, not the FDA, and aren't included. For what to do with a recalled product, see the FDA's recalls page.