Almost a thousand units of a Costco salad product have been recalled because of the presence of undeclared allergens, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The product subject to the recall was incorrectly labeled “Ancient Grain + Vegetable Salad item #25247” when it was actually the “Grain + Celery Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette item #47492.”
The product contains almond and soy, two major allergens, but the incorrect label on the packaging does not list these.
The voluntary recall initiated by Costco applied to 958 units of the product and was issued on July 3.
On August 7, the recall was classified by the FDA as Class I, which is the highest risk level.
These are issued when there is a “reasonable probability” that the use of, or exposure to, a product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
The salads, which are a popular deli item at the wholesaler, are packaged in a clear plastic container with a dome clamshell. Almond slices are visible through the clear plastic container.
The product in question can be identified by the sell-by date of May 16 through to July 6.
The items were distributed to stores in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
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Costco reached out to members who had purchased the items to warn them of the undisclosed allergens.
“If you’re allergic to Soy or Almonds do not consume this product, please return it to Costco for a full refund,” the company said in a letter.
This mislabeling poses a serious risk of a life-threatening reaction for individuals with a soy or almond allergy or severe sensitivity, Costco added.
Accidental exposure to allergens could cause issues such as skin reactions and respiratory or stomach problems.
In the most severe situations, those with allergies could experience anaphylaxis after exposure to an allergen.
Newsweek contacted Costco for comment via a contact form on its website outside regular working hours.
Food recalls take place regularly for various reasons—including contamination with bacteria; the presence of foreign objects, such as fragments of glass or plastic; or failure to list a major allergen on the product label, the FDA said.
While all recalls mean that the food product in question could pose harm or injury to the consumer, only a handful of items on the FDA warning list result in an adverse reaction.
In the first half of the year, only eight food and beverage products—of the 108 recalled by the FDA—caused harm or disease to at least one consumer, a Newsweek review found.
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