Recalled Barbecue Sauce Flagged With FDA Risk Alert

The FDA said the recall was initiated after it was discovered during an inspection that Anthony's Barbecue & Dip-It Sauce contained anchovy but was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of the fish product.

Juliette Fairley

Published: 1/19/2026, 1:25:05 PM EST

Recalled Barbecue Sauce Flagged With FDA Risk Alert — Photo of the recalled barbecue sauce. (Courtesy of the FDA)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assigned its highest risk warning this week to 192 bottles of a barbecue and dip sauce distributed in Oregon.

The potential presence of undeclared allergen in the form of anchovy fish led Anthony's BBQ of Harbor, Oregon, to recall Anthony's Barbecue & Dip-It Sauce on Nov. 26, 202,5 because the label does not declare Worcestershire, according to a Jan. 16 FDA enforcement report.

“The recall was initiated after it was discovered during the inspection that the product containing Anchovy (fish) was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of Anchovy,” FDA officials said in a press release.

The FDA designated the recall a Class 1 event last week. A Class 1 event is the federal government’s highest risk alert level and is described on the FDA website as having a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to the product would cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

A Class 2 event is described on the FDA website as exposure to a product that may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, while a Class 3 event involves products that violate regulations but are unlikely to cause health problems, such as minor labeling errors.

The sauce, packaged in 15-ounce glass bottles, has no lot codes, and was sold at the Taylor retail store in Cave Junction, Oregon, and Long’s Meat Market in Eugene, Oregon, between February 2025 and November 2025.

Ingredients listed on the label include tomatoes, brown sugar, distilled water, distilled vinegar, garlic, onion, liquid smoke, salt, mustard seed, natural flavor, corn syrup, turmeric, paprika, pepper, hydrolyzed soy protein, caramel color, and a small percentage of benzoate of soda.

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.

“People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to Anchovy (fish) run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product,” the FDA said.

The UPC is 6 89076 62272 1, according to the FDA, and no illnesses have been reported so far.

Consumers who purchased the dip, before it was recalled and have (Fish) Anchovy allergies, are urged not to consume the product and to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

“Consumers have a basic trust when they shop for food, and they count on manufacturers to follow the basic safety protocols in place,” personal injury attorney Jason Reese told NTD. "Every time they put something in their cart, take it home, and serve it to their loved ones, they are riding on that trust."