Health officials have urgently recalled a widely favored BBQ sauce due to concerns it may cause severe allergic reactions.
The Savannah Bee Company has withdrawn its Honey BBQ sauce-mustard from retail outlets because it was discovered to contain undeclared wheat and soy.
Authorities have cautioned that these undisclosed ingredients could endanger millions of Americans who have allergies. While some may experience mild symptoms such as itching, hives, and skin rashes, more severe reactions can lead to anaphylaxis, characterized by throat constriction and chest pain, making breathing difficult.
Upon issuing the recall, the FDA highlighted the danger: “Individuals with allergies or severe sensitivities to wheat or soy face a significant risk of serious or potentially life-threatening reactions if they consume the honey BBQ sauce-mustard.”
This product, packaged in 16-ounce glass bottles with an orange label, was available nationwide in retail stores and directly to consumers.
Officials explained that the labeling error occurred when the label for the Honey BBQ sauce-sweet was mistakenly affixed to the Honey BBQ sauce-mustard bottles.
No illnesses have been reported to date.
Customers have been urged to throw out the sauce immediately and request a full refund from the manufacturer.
Health authorities are recalling a popular BBQ sauce (stock photo)
The incorrectly labeled bottles were sold between July last year and February, the recall notice said.
The issue was only brought to attention after a customer contacted the business. This led to an investigation, which revealed the labeling issue.
It was not clear how many bottles were recalled or how the labeling issue occurred, but in previous instances this has been blamed on supplier error.
Recalled lots of the BBQ sauce have a lot number and best-before date etched onto the neck of the bottle. The lot number is UPC 8 50033 93758 9.
The best-before date is May 16, 2027.
An estimated 2 million Americans have an allergy to wheat while more than 1 million have an allergy to soy.
These are caused by the body’s immune system overreacting to wheat or soy and attacking it as though it were a dangerous pathogen.
Infants and young children are most likely to have an allergy to wheat or soy, doctors say, although the allergies can emerge at any age.
A wheat allergy can be triggered by eating foods containing wheat, breathing in wheat flour or coming into contact with products that contain wheat.
The recalled sauce, pictured second left, was labeled incorrectly. Due to this, it contains undeclared soy and wheat
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say that avoiding wheat is the best treatment, but warn that it is found in many foods, including some ice creams, soy sauces and hot dogs.
For a soy allergy, also triggered by soy exposure, doctors also tell patients to avoid soy and soy-containing products where possible.
This recall comes barely three months after RITZ Crackers recalled certain lots of its cracker sandwiches in December over a similar labeling issue.
Mondelez Global, which made the snacks, issued an alert after it found cartons of its RITZ Cracker Sandwiches were incorrectly packaged, with some peanut butter sandwiches mislabeled as the cheese variety.
This posed a serious risk to the 3million Americans allergic to peanuts, who could be at risk of ‘serious or life-threatening allergic reactions’ if they ate the product.
The recalled product was the RITZ Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches 20-pack carton.
There were no reports of injuries or illnesses during the recall.
