The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified Arizona Foods Group’s Mombo’s Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream Mix as its highest risk level, Class I, following a recall in January due to an undeclared allergen, eggs.
Why It Matters
A Class 1 recall is issued by the FDA in “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.”
What To Know
On January 19, Arizona Foods Group, based in Phoenix, issued a recall for its Mombo’s Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream Mix because the product may have contained egg without the allergen being declared.
On February 21, the FDA classified the recall as Class I, the highest risk category, because the undeclared allergen could cause severe or even fatal allergic reactions in those who cannot consume it.
Egg is one of the nine most common food allergens, along with milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame.
There were 4,422 half-gallon units affected, for a total of 737 cases, which were distributed throughout Nevada.
The FDA update described the affected products as being packaged in a half gallon carton (64-ounce) and six-unit cases.
The product’s shelf life was specified as 18 months frozen and 30 days thawed or refrigerated.
The product’s carton is plain white and features a sticker label on one side and a code on the other. Products with the code PLT 04-21 00925 are listed as affected.
What People Are Saying
Arizona Foods Group Inc, told Newsweek: “Fortunately, the product was never distributed into the public. All involved product was successfully retrieved in full, before it was made available to consumers. All of the involved product was subsequently destroyed.”
The FDA says on its website regarding food allergies: “Symptoms of food allergies typically appear from within a few minutes to a few hours after a person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.
Symptoms of allergic reactions can include:
- Hives
- Flushed skin or rashes
- Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
- Face, tongue, or lip swelling
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Coughing or wheezing
- Dizziness and/or light-headedness
- Swelling of the throat and vocal cords
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness
People who have a known food allergy and experience any of these symptoms should discontinue eating the food immediately, assess the need for emergency medication (such as epinephrine), and seek medical attention.
What Happens Next
The status of the recall has been noted as completed in the FDA update on February 21.
