A company product sold by Trader Joe’s, the Sesame Miso Salad with Salmon, has been recalled affecting 18 states after some packages were found to possibly contain an undeclared allergen, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified as a Class I recall, the most serious designation.

Newsweek has contacted Taylor Fresh Foods, the product’s manufacturing company, via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The FDA’s Class I classification highlights the risk to individuals with milk allergies, who could experience severe or life-threatening reactions if they consume the salad. While only a small number of packages were affected, the salads were distributed across a significant proportion of the country, increasing the potential exposure to vulnerable consumers.

According to the FDA, milk is one of the nine major food allergens that must be declared on packaging under federal labeling laws. The others are eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.

What To Know

The recall was initiated by Taylor Fresh Foods, the manufacturer based in Illinois, on April 26, and the FDA released its classification on May 8.

A Class I recall determines the recall a “situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The recall involves 10.25-ounce packages of the Sesame Miso Salad with Salmon, labeled with use-by dates of April 28 and 29.

The issue arose when about 500 units were mistakenly packaged with a sealed topping packet of Parmesan cheese crumbles instead of the intended crispy onions, according to the Taylor Fresh Foods announcement shared by the FDA.

The affected product was sold in stores in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin, as shown on the map below.

Taylor Fresh Foods said the error was discovered during a quality assurance check.

The company said in its press release: “The topping packet may potentially contain an undeclared milk allergen. The product may contain milk that is not declared on the label.”

No illnesses have been reported as of the recall’s publication, but consumers with milk allergies have been urged to discard the product or return it to the store for a refund.

Taylor Fresh Foods said in its announcement that this recall does not affect any other products or brands.

What People Are Saying

Clinton Mathias, an associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut, previously told Newsweek: “Cow’s milk allergy is the most common allergy affecting infants and children in the U.S. It is estimated that about 0.5-3 percent of children under the age of 3 have experienced allergy to milk proteins. While most children, between 40 and 57 percent, outgrow allergy to milk by school age, it is still among the most common food allergies in adults, with about 1.9 percent of adults reporting allergies to milk.

“Symptoms of allergy to cow’s milk can vary from person to person, with some people experiencing mild symptoms such as hives and others exhibiting severe reactions such as anaphylaxis. Other symptoms of milk allergy can include vomiting, diarrhea, rectal bleed, lethargy, etc.”

What Happens Next

As of May 8, the recall remains in effect. Consumers who have purchased the salad and are concerned about milk allergies are advised to either discard the product or return it to Trader Joe’s for a full refund. For further information, customers may call (855) 455-0098 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PST.