The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the recall this week of a dessert item sold at Publix grocery stores in eight states.
“The wrong ingredient label was applied to the packaging on certain units,” FDA officials said.
The 14-ounce cakes were packaged in cases with Maple Walnut Coffee Cake labels, but then inadvertently individually labeled as Publix Raspberry Coffee Cake.
The recall applies to cakes with the Raspberry Coffee Cake label, which states that it was processed on equipment that also processes almonds, pecans, and walnuts, but does not include walnuts in the ingredient list.
“Observable through the clear lid, the product has visible walnuts on top of the cake and brown maple topping, whereas Raspberry Coffee Cake has no walnuts on top and red topping,” the FDA said.
There are nine major food allergens that the FDA requires all companies to identify in their products. They include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
Almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, hazel nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are all considered tree nuts by the FDA, and people who have allergies to nuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, if they consume them.
The FDA further stated that the issue was discovered by a retail store employee who noticed the visible walnuts on top of the product and that the product had a Raspberry Coffee Cake label instead of a Maple Walnut Coffee Cake label.
After the lot of cakes was shipped to Sourcing & Distribution Specialists in Winter Haven, Florida, it was distributed to Publix retail stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The FDA urged consumers who purchased the sweet treat to return it to their nearest Publix store.
The cakes are sold at 28 Kroger grocery stores in Virginia and West Virginia, as well as at Ukrop's Market Hall stores in Richmond, Virginia.