The risk level of seafood salads recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month has been announced as Class II.
More than 1,600 units of Hannaford Seafood Salads were first recalled from shelves in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York on 31 October over a mislabeling incident.
As a result of the error, the products may contain undeclared hydrolyzed soy protein, which the FDA has ranked a Class II risk level as of 25 November. Class I is the most severe risk level.
In total 278 cases of the salad, made by Elevation Foods, were recalled, the FDA said.
A Class II recall from the FDA means that exposure to the product may cause "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences" but the risk of serious adverse health consequences is "remote".
At particular risk are consumers with an allergy to soy, the FDA warned. "Consumers with an allergy or severe sensitivity to soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products."
Due to the risk soy poses as an allergen, it must be declared on the labels of all products containing it to protect consumers.
The implicated products were distributed to the five states between October 25 and 29, and have use-by dates of November 13 and 14. The use-by date can be read on the lid of the container.
The recall was initiated after the company discovered that the printer of the salad labels had provided Elevation Foods, the company behind the salads, with labels that did not match the current product formulation.
Instead, it issued labels created for an upcoming formulation change and were shipped to Elevation Foods in error, according to the FDA.
Newsweek contacted Elevation Foods for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
The salads are only available in Hannaford stores, and all were removed from store shelves following the initial recall warning on 31 October.
Elevation Foods has not reported being aware of any cases of illness being caused by the salads.
The map below shows the locations where the implicated salads were distributed.
Soy allergies mean the immune system overreacts to soy proteins, treating it as a harmful invader like a bacterium or virus rather than a harmless protein. Symptoms include stomach problems, coughing, itching, wheezing, vomiting, hives and difficulty breathing, which vary in severity.
In severe cases, soy allergies can trigger severe allergic reactions which may be life threatening.
People with soy allergies should carry an epinephrine injection, also known as an Epi-Pen, which can help to quickly reverse the effects of a sever reaction.
Customers who purchased the salads before they were removed from shelves have been advised by the company not to consume the products, which can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.
English (US) ·