News Feature | February 10, 2015

Two Of The Country's Largest Bakeries Issue Allergen-Based Recalls

By Laurel Maloy, contributing writer, Food Online

Allergen Based Food Recalls

Bimbo Bakeries and Pepperidge Farm, based on opposite sides of the country, have issued recalls affecting thousands of consumers due to undeclared peanuts and tree nuts

Bimbo Bakeries USA and Pepperidge Farm Bakeries, based in California and Connecticut, respectively, have issued recalls for products containing undeclared peanuts and almonds. Pepperidge Farms is a household name, and Bimbo should be with brands such as Sara Lee, Thomas’, Entenmann’s, or Earth Grains — just a few of the popular brands manufactured by this conglomerate.

Pepperidge Farm is recalling 46,000 packages of bagels with sell by dates ranging from February7 to February 12, 2015. The affected bagels are sold as Plain, Everything, and Cinnamon Raisin. Mini bagels sold in Whole Wheat, Cinnamon Raisin, and Brown Sugar with Cinnamon are also being recalled.

Avoiding Recalls With Product Inspection Systems

Pepperidge Farm was alerted to the undeclared peanuts and almonds by the bakery responsible for producing the bagels. Sent to retail stores in 23 states: AR, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NM, ND, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA WV, AND WI, consumers who have purchased the products are being told they can return the product to the store for a full refund. No toll free number or other corporate contact information is available.

Pepperidge Farm also makes no mention of the recall on its website, even when searching for the terms “recall” and “recalls.”  No photos, UPC codes, or facility identification numbers are available in order to provide more complete information. Pepperidge Farm is actually owned by Campbell Soup Company, out of Camden, NJ. Upon checking Campbell’s site, there is also no mention of the Pepperidge Farm recall. A check of the FDA site for recent recalls for further information revealed there was no notification of the recall for Pepperidge Farm, though the one for Bimbo is listed. 

Bimbo’s recall includes the following products, complete with the UPC codes, Best By Date(s), Bakery Code, and the States in which the products were distributed. All will have the Bakery Code 30088. The Thomas’ products were all distributed in the states of: IA, IL, IN, KY, MN, MO, ND, OH, and WI. The Sara Lee Products were delivered in the same nine states as the Thomas’ products, but also includes: KS, MI, NE, and SD. The Jewel products were only distributed within the state of IL.

  • Thomas’ Everything Bagels 6-pk, 20 oz., UPC CODE 4812125319, Best By February 10, 12, & 14
  • Thomas’ Whole Wheat Bagels 6-pk, 20 oz., UPC CODE 4812125505, Best By February 10, 12, & 14
  • Thomas’ Onion Bagels 6-pk, 20 oz, UPC CODE 4812124903, Best By February 10, 12, 13, & 14
  • Thomas’ Plain Bagels 6 pk, 20 oz., UPC CODE 4812127707, Best By February 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14
  • Thomas’ Plain Mini Bagels 10-pk, 15 oz., UPC CODE 4812121657, Best By February 11 & 13
  • Sara Lee Blueberry Bagels 6-pk, 20 oz., UPC CODE 7294535069, Best By February 11 & 12
  • Sara Lee Cinnamon Raisin Bagels 6-pk, 20 oz., UPC CODE 7294535070, Best By February 11 & 12
  • Sara Lee Plain Bagels 6 pk, 20 oz., UPC CODE 7294535066, Best By February 11 & 12
  • Jewel Blueberry Bagels 6-pk, 18 oz., UPC CODE 4128001266, Best by February 12
  • Jewel Cinnamon Raisin Bagels 6-pk, 18 oz., UPC CODE 4128001267, Best by February 12
  • Jewel Onion Bagels 6-pk, 18 oz., UPC CODE 4128001269, Best by February 12
  • Jewel Plain Bagels 6-pk, 18 oz., UPC CODE 4128001268, Best By February 11 & 12

You can view the information available on the FDA’s site here.  The FDA reports that no other Thomas’, Sara Lee, or Jewel products are affected. The product can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund and anyone with questions is welcome to contact Bimbo at 1-800-984-0989.

Neither company reports any illnesses or injuries to date, though the potential is there for serious injury or death. Peanut and tree nut allergies are just two of the most common and deadliest, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

Related: Preventive Controls and Risk-Management in FSMA

Further research will possibly reveal that tainted ingredients were received from a third party. It is also possible that the bakery responsible for production processed product containing peanuts and almonds without the benefit of a thorough cleaning. This article, 6 Ways To Avoid Allergen Recalls, provides some of the most basic and easiest means of prevention.

Further regulatory information is available from the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI). The agency’s Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) Sec. 555.250 Statement of Policy for Labeling and Preventing Cross-Contact of Common Food Allergens was drafted as new legislation in April of 2001 and updated in 2005. However, the FDA’s first response to this problem was a letter, “Notice to Manufacturers,” dated June 10, 1996. It may be dull reading; it is, however, important reading.