FDA issues urgent recall of Ritz crackers over fatal ingredient
This is a serious risk to the 3million peanut butter allergy sufferers in the US who may unknowingly consume the crackers and be at risk of 'serious or life-threatening allergic reactions'. The FDA said the affected sandwiches were sold nationwide, with RITZ Crackers carried by many top stores, including Target, CVS and Dollar General.
The labeling issue was detected for cartons that contain eight, 20 or 40 individually wrapped packs of Ritz sandwiches. All affected cartons warn of the presence of peanuts on the outside, but inside, in some cases, individually wrapped packs have been incorrectly labeled.
There have been no reports of injuries or adverse events to date, with officials saying they've announced the recall as a precaution. Customers who have a peanut allergy are advised not to eat the products and to discard any that may be affected. Products in the recall are a 20-pack of RITZ Filled Cracker Sandwich Variety that contains 10 cheese and 10 peanut butter crackers.
The recall also includes: A n 8-pack of RITZ Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches, a 20-pack of RITZ Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches, and a 40-pack of RITZ Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches. It is not clear exactly how many cartons of RITZ sandwiches are included in the recall.
Affected cartons have a best-before date of up to January 2026, and customers have been advised to check the UPC code — next to the barcode — to find out if their carton is affected. The manufacturer, Mondelez Global, has blamed the issue on a supplier error for the incorrect labeling. This may suggest issues with printing labels that led some peanut butter RITZ sandwiches to be incorrectly labeled.
In serious cases, people can suffer from anaphylaxis — a life-threatening condition where someone is left struggling to breathe because of constriction of the airways and swelling of the lips, tongue and throat. Less than four people die from the allergy every year in the US, according to the national food allergy death registry.
It comes after RITZ was hit by a second recall in Canada in February this year due to an undeclared allergen. Original Mini Ritz Crackers sold in 200-gram resealable bags had to be recalled over the issue. It was found that these products may contain undeclared milk, which can also cause an allergic reaction in people, causing a breakout in hives or a rash.
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