Why Consumers Are Being Urged To Return Dark Chocolate Truffles
It's no secret that food allergies are rampant in the United States, and they could be due to some unexpected factors with our diets. Some argue that it's because of the health of our gut microbiomes, while others are sure it's all the GMOs we consume. No matter what the reason actually is, one thing is for certain: The increase in food allergies has led to an increase in demand for allergy-free food products. When a product is labeled as free of the top eight food allergens — milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans (via FDA) — consumers can rest assured that their snacks are safe. Over the last decade, the snack industry has been booming with allergen-safe products, like nut-free sunflower seed butter, and of course, dairy-free chocolate.
Because of food allergies, it's extremely important that products labeled allergen-free stay that way. Which is why one food company has announced a recall of one of their indulgent dark chocolate truffles due to a possible allergen contamination.
From allergy-friendly to foe
That's it Nutrition LLC, which makes a variety of snacks made from fruit, seeds, and dark chocolate, announced a recall on August 5 for its Dark Chocolate Truffles (via FDA). The company, whose brand name is That's it, prides itself on using ingredients that are vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and free of many allergens — making the recall all the more shocking for customers.
According to the recall, the Dark Chocolate Truffles may contain trace amounts of milk proteins. When a product may contain milk, or any other top allergen, the FDA requires that the company include this information on the label (which it wasn't in this case). The cause was traced back to a contamination on "shared lines with milk chocolate by the chocolate supplier," according to the recall.
While no serious reactions had been reported due to the contaminated product as of August 5, That's it is asking customers to return the product for a full refund. The recall impacts 3.5-, 5-, and 16-ounce stand-up pouches of That's it Dark Chocolate Truffles (including Fig, Date, Banana, Raisin, and Fig with Sea Salt flavors) with expiration dates from March 23, 2023 to July 8, 2024. The company says that Dark Chocolate Truffle packs produced as of August 1, 2022 have been verified to be free of all milk proteins (via FDA).