Nut Recall Map Shows States With New Warning

A voluntary recall has been issued for a mixed nuts product sold in six states along the West Coast after a customer discovered the presence of undeclared peanut in the product.

The bulk food distributor, DSD Merchandisers, announced a recall Monday of its Deluxe Roasted and Salted Mixed Nuts, which have a sell-by date of October 9. According to a release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the product was sold in a clear plastic 5-ounce tub that contains a mix of tree nuts including cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, pecan halves and macadamias.

The mixed nuts containers were sold by DSD to Farm Fresh to You, a produce delivery service, which then distributes the products to subscribers of Farm Fresh to You or Full Circle, which are e-commerce platforms.

Subscribers to either online platform are in California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. The FDA release said that consumers would have received the mixed nuts containers through the mail and that the product’s label does not have a name brand.

A consumer contacted DSD through the company’s website and reported that their container of mixed nuts contained peanut, although the product did not list the allergen on its label. The label did read that the mixed nuts product was produced on the same equipment as an item containing peanut.

“Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s formulation change processes and packaging label change process,” read the release.

The release noted that individuals “who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to specific type of allergen peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.”

Per FDA regulations, distributors are required to identify if their product contains or is produced on equipment that has been in contact with any of the nine major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. These ingredients account for 90 percent of all food allergic reactions.

A reaction to a peanut allergy can occur within minutes after an individual with a sensitivity is exposed, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can include skin reactions like hives or swelling; an itching or tingling sensation around the mouth of throat; digestive problems; tightening of the throat; shortness of breath; or a runny nose.

Peanut allergy is also the most common cause of “food-induced anaphylaxis,” which requires emergency medical treatment, including the use of an epinephrine. Signs of anaphylaxis can include the constriction of airways, swelling of the throat, a drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, dizziness or loss of consciousness.