Cheese Puffs Recall as FDA Issues Risk Warning

Wegmans Jalapeno Baked Cheese Puffs have been recalled and classified with a high risk warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The cheese puffs were distributed in the state of New York and have been recalled due to undeclared additives and flavor enhancers in the product.

Newsweek contacted the press office of Herr Foods Inc. out of normal business hours for comment.

Why It Matters

The classification of the recall by the FDA suggests that there is a high level of risk associated with the situation, given that food additives and flavor enhancers are considered safe by the FDA on the basis they are only used in certain quantities.

What to Know

The Wegmans Jalapeno Baked Cheese Puffs were initially recalled in December, and last week the FDA released its classification as a Class II recall.

That is described as “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

According to the FDA update, there are currently 10,246 products with cases of undeclared additives and flavor enhancers.

The undeclared flavor enhancers included monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which the FDA considers to be “generally recognized as safe.”

Over the years, the FDA has received reports of symptoms such as headache and nausea after eating foods containing MSG, but the administration wrote that it was never able to confirm that the MSG caused the reported effects.

Sodium diacetate, another flavor enhancer, was also undeclared in the product, but it is recognized by the FDA as safe as well.

An undeclared food addictive in the product was disodium inosinate, which is considered safe by the FDA if only a certain quantity of the substance is used. The recall update did not state how much of the addictive was used in the cheese puffs.

Disodium guanylate was also used in the product but not declared, which is another flavor enhancer. It is also considered safe to use by the FDA, as long as it is not used in excess.

While the additives and flavor enhancers in the product are all considered safe by the FDA, all ingredients must be declared on food labels.

What People Are Saying

FDA, on its website: “In general, all ingredients must be declared on food labels, unless there is an exemption. Food manufacturers are responsible for marketing safe foods, including ensuring the safety and regulatory status of the ingredients they use in foods before they are available to consumers. The FDA evaluates and regulates ingredients added to food to help ensure they are used safely.”

What’s Next

The recall is still active and the FDA wrote on its website that if you think that you experienced an adverse reaction to a food, including an ingredient, you can report the reaction to the FDA.

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