The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall of ranch dressing sold in Texas.
“The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the allergen eggs were left off the ingredient list and allergen warning for the recalled cases of product,” company officials said in the FDA alert. “This omission was discovered during an FDA inspection of the facility where the product is bottled.”
Company officials disclosed that the condiment was sold at Central Market retail stores in Texas and locally in Austin at independent retailers from April 3.
For the majority of consumers, eating ranch dressing or dip that contains undisclosed egg is unremarkable. However, those with an allergy to eggs may have a reaction, which raises the stakes of eating it.
"People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product," federal officials said.
There are nine major food allergens that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all companies to identify in their products. In addition to milk, they include eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
The recalled dressing is packed in 16-ounce glass jars and their lot codes are printed on the bottom of the jar.
The six lot codes are 69, 86, 108, 113, 116, and 121.
No illnesses have been reported to date, according to the FDA.
Authorities urged consumers who purchased Jaime’s Spanish Village Jalapeno Ranch to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Earlier in August, Jalapeño peppers were linked to a multistate Salmonella outbreak that was traced back to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the chili peppers were moved into the United States by Coast Citrus Distributors. The company has since recalled the peppers and is notifying its customers, which include Mexican food restaurant chains.
At least 345 people in 27 states reported falling ill from the salmonella strain linked to the jalapeños, and 36 people have been hospitalized, according to authorities.
The Food and Drug Administration said that of 191 people interviewed in the outbreak investigation, 177—or 93 percent—reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba, between June 14 and July 14. Both said they had withdrawn jalapeños from their menu offerings.
“Given their actions to remove product from their stores, neither of these establishments are considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in this outbreak,” CDC officials said in a statement.