Multiple Food Items Recalled Nationwide Over Undeclared Ingredients

Images of the recalled Quaker Oats Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle (L), Otto Meyer's Premium Sausage POLISH SAUSAGE (R). FDA, FSIS

Food products like pancake mixes, sausages, nutrition bars, and sorbet have been recalled in recent days by federal agencies after the items were found to contain food allergens not mentioned on the labels.

On Jan. 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Chicago-based Quaker Oats Company is pulling out 2-pound boxes of Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle Mix from the market for using “undeclared milk” as one of the ingredients. On Jan. 13, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said that Michigan-based UP Products, LLC is recalling roughly 400 pounds of sausage products “due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen.” They contained soy, an allergen, which was not declared on the product labels.

These announcements followed multiple other recalls issued last week, citing undeclared ingredients. For instance, on Jan. 10, Lifestyle Evolution Inc. pulled out certain lots of chocolate nutrition bars because of “undeclared” milk.

On the same day, the FDA announced that California-based Mochi Ice Cream Company LLC was withdrawing 1,350 cases of Peach Mango Sorbet as it could contain “undeclared pasteurized cooked egg white.” A few days earlier, the agency said Missouri-based Dierbergs Markets recalled mashed potatoes for carrying “an undeclared allergen of wheat.”

Undeclared allergens pose a health risk to people who are allergic to the ingredients.

The FDA identifies nine major food allergens—milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. The law mandates that food products sold in the United States list all major food allergens that went into producing them.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 6 percent of American adults and children suffer from a food allergy.

The Quaker Oats recall was issued after a retail partner alerted the company about the issue.

“Consumers would have been able to purchase this mix as early as November 18, 2024. The product included in this recall was distributed to certain retailers in the following 11 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin.”

Meanwhile, the UP Products recall is applicable to ready-to-eat “Otto Meyer’s Premium Sausage Polish Sausage” and “Otto Meyer’s Premium Sausage Potato Sausage.” The items were manufactured on various dates between Oct. 30 and Jan. 7.

These products “were shipped to a restaurant and retail locations in Michigan, and a retail location in Wisconsin.”

The problem of undeclared soy “was discovered during routine FSIS in-plant verification activities.” There have so far been “no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.”

Milk, Egg Whites, and Wheat

The Lifestyle Evolution recall is applicable to NuGo-branded Dark Chocolate Chip and Dark Chocolate Pretzel products. The undeclared milk poses a risk of “serious or life-threatening allergic reaction” in people who are allergic or have severe sensitivity to milk.

The products come with best-by dates ranging from Dec. 14, 2025, to Dec. 23, 2025. The items were distributed via select retailers and online nationwide, including Amazon, Wegmans, Costco, and Giant Eagle.

The recall came after Lifestyle received 11 customer reports citing allergic reactions after consuming the products.

The Mochi Ice Cream recall “was initiated after it was discovered that product containing (pasteurized egg white) was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of (the egg white).”

“Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s packaging processes.”

The recalled Peach Mango Sorbet is packaged in an orange box weighing 7.5 oz. and was sold via retail outlets nationwide. The company has received two reports of minor allergic responses.

Meanwhile, the Dierbergs recall was for 16 oz. Premium Home-Style Mashed Potatoes which had a use-by date of Jan. 9, 2025. The implicated products were distributed through several stores like Fenton, Wildwood, Lemay, Manchester, Four Seasons, Arnold, and West Oak.

The items have since been removed from stores. The company asked customers who had already bought the product to return them unopened for a refund.

According to the FDA, symptoms of food allergies usually exhibit within a few minutes or hours after the item has been consumed.

Reactions include abdominal cramps, swelling of the lip or tongue, flushed skin or rash, coughing or wheezing, difficulty breathing, vomiting or diarrhea, and loss of consciousness.

“People with a known food allergy who begin experiencing any of these symptoms should stop eating the food immediately, evaluate the need to use emergency medication (such as epinephrine), and seek medical attention,” the agency said.

“Some of these symptoms are not always due to a food allergen. So, it is important to seek proper care and diagnosis from a healthcare provider to determine if the symptoms or reaction experienced was due to a food allergen.”