Thousands of snack bars recalled over allergens that could be fatal — return ASAP for refunds

Find out the production oversight that led the company to the Class I recall from the FDA

PUBLISHED 3 DAYS AGO

Representative picture of snacks at a store (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Michael M. Santiago)

The past few years have seen massive product recalls across America, and the reasons range from contamination to the presence of foreign objects and mislabeling. Now, a small production oversight by Juniper Granola has led to a Class-I recall issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after a customer reported an allergic reaction linked to undeclared milk and soy in the company’s snack bar. The classification means that the recalled product could cause serious adverse health consequences or even death.

According to a Newsweek report, the FDA has now formally classified it as Class I, which is its most serious recall classification. Around 1,800 Chocolate Cherry and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Junebars are affected, the report added.

Representative image of a women shopping for snacks (Image source: Getty Images/dowell)

The FDA warned that consumers who are allergic or highly sensitive to milk or soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume the recalled snack bars. Milk and soy are among the nine major food allergens that must be declared on food labels under U.S. food safety regulations.

The issue was highlighted when one customer reported an allergic reaction to milk, which is how the company became aware of the undeclared allergen and opened an investigation. The investigation further revealed that the issue arose during the company’s sourcing process when a box of non-vegan chocolate chips containing milk and soy was accidentally mixed in. The snack bars are otherwise made with dairy-free and soy-free chips.

Undeclared allergens are one of the most common causes of food recalls in the United States. Recently, Frito-Lay recalled select bags of its Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle Potato Chips across six states due to the presence of undeclared milk particles. Georgia-based Savannah Bee Company also recalled its barbecue sauce with undeclared allergens across the country.

Representative image of blood sample lying on allergy test sheets (Image source: Getty Images/Photo by Peter Dazely) — Nine major food sources cause the majority of allergic reactions (Image source: Getty Images/Photo by Peter Dazely)

What makes it dangerous is that in cases of severe food allergies, even a small amount of allergen can cause an anaphylactic shock. In some cases, this reaction can be fatal if not treated quickly. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include difficulty in breathing, throat swelling, sudden drop in blood pressure, dizziness and rapid pulse. Treatment usually involves an injection of epinephrine and a follow-up trip to an emergency room, according to Mayo Clinic.

Image showing the recalled product (Image source: FDA)

The Rochester, New York-based company, recalled snack bars distributed in New York State in January, through grocery retailers or direct deliveries from website orders. You can identify the impacted bars by looking at the back of the bar pouch near the bottom. The affected products are stamped with the labels L1300, L1300A, L1300B, and L1301A.

If you have purchased the recalled Junebars, you can return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For further questions, you may reachout to the company at 315-226-3339, or contact@junebars.com.

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