On Tuesday, federal food safety regulators issued an official warning to a highly regarded U.S. bakery, directing them to immediately stop using labels that inaccurately declare their products as containing potentially hazardous allergens.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently identified a concern involving Bimbo Bakeries USA, a company renowned for its association with leading brands including Sara Lee, Oroweat, Thomas', Entenmann's, and Ball Park. It was discovered that the company consistently includes ingredients like sesame or tree nuts on their product labels, even when these ingredients are not present in the actual products.
In accordance with FDA regulations, these products have been deemed "misbranded," as stated by FDA officials in a recent warning letter directed towards the executives at the company's headquarters situated in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
Moreover, it has been conveyed by FDA officials that allergen labeling should not be regarded as a replacement for the precautionary measures established to ensure protection against cross-contamination within manufacturing facilities.
Advocates from the nonprofit organization FARE, Food Allergy Research & Education, assert that such labeling "engenders a disservice" to the approximately 33 million individuals in the United States who endure from food allergies. As per Sung Poblete, FARE's chief executive, these consumers must sustain constant vigilance concerning foods that hold the potential to elicit life-threatening allergic reactions.
Bimbo, a food company based in Mexico City, holds its U.S. operations in high regard, considering them the leading commercial baking enterprise in the nation. In an electronic correspondence, representatives of the company have sincerely expressed their dedication to ensuring the safety of consumers with allergies and sensitivities. Furthermore, they have confirmed their active involvement with the FDA in order to effectively address this issue.
Concerns were raised regarding labeling practices at Bimbo and other companies following the implementation of a law in 2022. This law now requires the explicit mention of sesame as a primary allergen on product packaging.
Due to the challenges and expenses involved in preventing cross-contamination of sesame in a baking facility, certain companies opted to include small quantities of sesame in products that initially did not contain this ingredient, with the purpose of reducing liability and costs. Officials from the FDA have expressed that this course of action goes against the intention, although not the exact wording, of federal regulations.
Certain companies, such as Bimbo, have implemented the practice of including allergens, like sesame, on product labels as a proactive step to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination.
On Tuesday, officials from the FDA acknowledged that statements inferring the presence of distinct allergens in a product could be deemed reliable and not misleading. Bimbo officials are obligated to outline the actions taken to address the issue by July 8, or alternatively, offer an explanation as to why their labeling does not violate FDA regulations.