Meijer Is Currently Recalling 2 Items For Undeclared Milk
If you have a dairy allergy and shop for chocolate at Meijer, you're going to want to take note. Two dark chocolate-covered almond products available at the grocery chain are under a voluntary recall because they were not correctly labeled as containing milk. The recall affects both 12-ounce bags of Frederik's Dark Chocolate Almonds and Meijer Express Go Cups Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds. According to the announcement by Lamontagne Chocolate Corp., the producer of the sweets, the problem stems from a specification change that was not relayed to Meijer.
As all products sold in the U.S. must label major allergens to comply with regulations, Lamontagne Chocolate announced the recall on Tuesday, May 23. The recall affects items with UPCs 7-08820-68730-1 and 7-60236-19787-4 sold in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Wisconsin for all sell-by dates. Customers who have a milk allergy and bought either of these products are strongly encouraged to return them to Meijer customer service for a full refund.
The retailer is no stranger to recalls, but it could be worse
Those who don't have a milk allergy can go ahead and ignore this recall. Unlike more broadly dangerous recalls due to contamination by bacteria or viruses, this only affects those with dairy sensitivities or allergies. To date, Meijer has not received any complaints of illness associated with this recall. Still, as noted by the Mayo Clinic, dairy allergies are fairly ordinary and have the potential to be harmful; behind peanuts and tree nuts, milk is one of the foods that most commonly cause anaphylaxis.
Lamontagne, a Canadian chocolate manufacturer, had a similar undeclared milk allergen recall in Canada in 2011 but it seems to not have affected American markets, with no other recalls populating in the Food Industry Council's Food Recall Reporter. It is, however, Meijer's fourth recall of 2023, and their least serious to date this year. In April, the company recalled Meijer brand premade salads and Revolution Brands lettuce and premade salad mixes; in January they recalled Frederik's by Meijer branded sausage products in conjunction with producer Daniele International, Inc. All other recalls this year have been a result of contamination with listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes listeriosis.