An undeclared allergen is one of the most serious and common reasons for a food recall. A simple mistake on the ingredient label can have life-threatening consequences for a person with a severe food allergy. In 2025, the FDA has already issued numerous recalls for popular snack foods that were contaminated with undeclared allergens like peanuts, milk, and soy. These incidents highlight a persistent problem with cross-contamination and quality control in the food manufacturing industry.
1. Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
In a recent recall, Trader Joe’s had to pull its popular store-brand chocolate chip cookies from the shelves. The product was found to contain undeclared peanuts. The contamination was a major safety concern for anyone with a peanut allergy. The company urged customers to discard the product or return it for a full refund.
2. Great Value (Walmart) Granola Bars
Walmart’s Great Value brand recalled a specific variety of its chewy granola bars. The bars were supposed to be peanut-free. However, due to a packaging mix-up at the supplier’s factory, some bars that contained peanuts were accidentally placed in the wrong boxes. This created a serious risk for consumers with peanut allergies who rely on accurate packaging.
3. Enjoy Life Foods Baked Chewy Bars
Ironically, the allergy-friendly brand Enjoy Life Foods had to issue a recall. The company recalled its Baked Chewy Bars due to the potential presence of undeclared gluten. For a brand that is built on trust with the allergen community, this was a serious and damaging mistake that put their celiac customers at risk.
4. Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies
Ferrara, the parent company of Keebler, recalled several batches of its Fudge Stripe cookies. The recall was issued in 2011 because the cookies may have been contaminated with undeclared peanut residue. The problem was traced back to the manufacturing process. It posed a significant risk to a large number of consumers.
5. Van’s Gluten-Free Waffles
The brand Van’s, which specializes in gluten-free products, recalled its gluten-free waffles. The company discovered that some of the boxes were accidentally filled with the brand’s regular, wheat-based waffles. This packaging error meant that the “gluten-free” product actually contained undeclared wheat, a major danger for people with celiac disease.
6. CLIF Bar Sierra Trail Mix Energy Bars
The popular energy bar company CLIF Bar had to recall one of its classic flavors. The Sierra Trail Mix bar was found to potentially contain undeclared peanuts. The company warned that a small number of bars were made with a peanut butter-containing recipe. They were then put into the wrong wrappers.
The Promise of a Label
The ingredient label on a package is a promise of safety between a brand and its customers. For people with food allergies, this promise is a matter of life and death. The constant stream of recalls for undeclared allergens shows that this promise is broken far too often. It highlights the critical need for better quality control and vigilance at every single step of the food production process.
Have you or your family ever been affected by a recall for an undeclared allergen? How carefully do you read the ingredient labels on snacks? Let us know!
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