Trader Joe's Recall Issued in 17 States Over Allergens Risk

A salad dressing sold at Trader Joe's locations across the country has been recalled due to a labeling error that omitted allergens like peanuts, sesame, soy, and wheat.

California-based Fresh Creative Foods, which produced the salad dressing under the Trader Joe's brand, has recalled 12-ounce bottles of its Hot Honey Mustard Dressing.

Why It Matters

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the dressing was distributed to Trader Joe's locations in 17 states and Washington, D.C. While no complaints or health scares have been reported as a result, the affected dressing lacks allergen warnings for soy, peanuts, sesame, and wheat, posing a risk to individuals with allergies to these ingredients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies leading to approximately 15,000-30,000 emergency room visits a year and 150-200 deaths.

What To Know

Fresh Creative Foods issued the recall on March 30 for bottles of its Hot Honey Mustard Dressing with a use-by date of May 27 and a product code of 80152.

These bottles were sold at Trader Joe's outlets in Arkansas, Colorado, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

According to the announcement, no customer complaints related to the product or the recall have been reported to date.

Customers who purchased the product are encouraged to return it to Trader Joe's for a full refund or dispose of it, and for any inquiries regarding the product or label, to contact Fresh Creative Foods directly.

According to FOX Business, this is the third recall for Trader Joe's products since February, with the grocery store chain having previously issued recalls for glass containers of Gerolsteiner Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, and another recall for Acai Bowl frozen meals.

What People Are Saying

Trader Joe's told Newsweek: "At Trader Joe's, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our customers and Crew Members. With this in mind, we do the daily work to make certain our products meet our stringent food safety expectations. We don't take any chances when it comes to product safety and quality.

"We have a close relationship with our vendors. We err on the side of caution and are proactive in addressing issues. We voluntarily take action quickly, aggressively investigating potential problems and removing the product from sale if there is any doubt about its safety or quality.

"We value information and clear communication. Should a recall become necessary, we waste no time in providing our customers details. Our recall-related communications go well beyond regulatory requirements: we share news through in-store signs, on our website, and through email alerts."

What Happens Next?

According to the FDA's recall notice, customers who purchased this product can take it back to a Trader Joe's location for a full refund or discard the item.