FDA Elevates Recall of 64,800 Lbs. of Butter to Second-Highest Warning Level

NEED TO KNOW

• Bunge North America Inc. issued a nationwide recall of 64,800 lbs. (or 1,800 cases) of its European Style Butter Blend 1 lb. product on July 14 due to undeclared milk, which was not listed on the label

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised the risk classification for the recall to Class II — the second-highest warning level — on July 30

• The FDA said users who begins to experience any allergy symptoms by eating the affected product should “stop eating the food immediately, evaluate the need to use emergency medication (such as epinephrine) and seek medical attention”

A recent nationwide butter recall has been escalated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to a higher risk level.

The FDA raised the risk classification for the recall of one of Bunge North America Inc.’s butter products to Class II — the second-highest warning level — on Wednesday, July 30.

A Class II recall indicates “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’s website.

Bunge, which is based in Chesterfield, Mo., initially announced a voluntary recall of 64,800 lbs. (or 1,800 cases) of its European Style Butter Blend 1 lb. product on July 14 due to undeclared milk, which was not listed on the product label.

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The company said the butter was “packed in white paperboard cases,” with “36 blocks to a case,” and sent to a dozen distribution centers throughout the U.S. and one distribution center in the Dominican Republic. The lot code number for the butter is 5064036503.

The FDA did not say whether anyone has been affected in connection with the recall.

Bunge North America Inc. did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Aug. 2.

Milk is listed as one of the nine major food allergens on the FDA’s website. The FDA said food-related allergic reactions can vary in severity and include mild symptoms, such as hives, face and lip swelling, vomiting, coughing or swelling.

However, people may also get more severe reactions like anaphylaxis, which “causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals” that can cause a person to go into shock and can be fatal, per the Mayo Clinic.

The FDA said that because of this, it “enforces regulations” to require companies to list ingredients on packaged foods and beverages. The agency added that there are “more specific labeling requirements” for foods that can “cause allergies or other hypersensitivity reactions.”

The FDA advised that if anyone who eats the affected products begins to experience any allergy symptoms, they should “stop eating the food immediately, evaluate the need to use emergency medication (such as epinephrine) and seek medical attention.”

Other major food allergens listed by the FDA include eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.

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