When a food company recalls a product, it is often because of a serious and potentially life-threatening mistake: the presence of an undisclosed ingredient. This usually happens when a major allergen, like nuts or dairy, is accidentally introduced into a product that is not supposed to contain it. For people with severe food allergies, this kind of labeling error can have devastating consequences. The FDA and the USDA treat these recalls with the utmost seriousness, as they represent a fundamental failure of a company’s safety protocols.
