For at least the fourth time this year, Chiquita Brands International’s Fresh Express salad division is recalling bagged salads because of undeclared allergens. The Orlando-based division recalled 480 cases of Fresh Express brand “American Salad” from six Southern states because Caesar salad condiment packets containing egg, milk, wheat and anchovy may have been mistakenly included. The allergens in the condiment packets are not declared on the “American Salad” packaging. “In some individuals the consumption of an undisclosed allergen could be life-threatening,” according to the recall notice posted on the
Food and Drug Administration website Friday. “No illnesses are reported. No other Fresh Express products are included in this recall.” Fresh Express distributed the recalled salads to retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The salads have an Oct. 5 use-by date, so officials are urging consumers to check their homes for the recalled product. Consumers can identify the recalled 11-ounce bagged salads by the Product Code G264A12A on the front of the bag and the UPC number 0 71279 241005 on the back go the bag. “Consumers in possession of the recalled product should discard it. A refund is available where purchased or by contacting the Fresh Express Consumer Response Center toll-free at 800-242-5472 during the hours of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time,” according to the recall notice. Similar recalls earlier this year Chiquita’s salad division recalled salads in February, May and June — also because of undeclared allergen issues. In June the company openly blamed human error. The June recall of almost 2,500 cases of Caesar Salad Kits because of the wrong condiment packets involved retailers in 19 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. In May, Fresh Express had to recall its Farmers Market Chopped Asian Salad Kit because the wrong labels were applied on the salads during production, resulting in undeclared allergens of soy, almonds, wheat. The first allergen-related recall by Fresh Express this year was in February and involved bagged, chopped romaine because a production line error resulted in condiment packets for other products being included in the romaine bags. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, clickhere.)
