Non-Dairy Dessert Recalled Nationwide Due to Potential Foreign Material - Newsweek
Danone USA is voluntarily recalling the brand So Delicious Dairy Free®'s Salted Caramel Cluster Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert pints over fears that the product could be contaminated with foreign materials, an alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns on Tuesday.
The recall only impacts pints with best-by dates on and before April 3, 2028, with a UPC number of 744473476138 and a SKU number of 136603. No other So Delicious Dairy Free® flavors, products or codes are impacted by the recall, the alert notes.
Numerous public health alerts and recalls have been issued this year due to potential damage, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens. Recently, approximately 24,900 pounds of frozen Buffalo chicken products were recalled after federal officials discovered they were produced without the benefit of inspection.
Meanwhile, millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year. According to the FDA, the nine "major" food allergens in the United States are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts.
Newsweek reached out to the company via email on Tuesday night for comment.
According to the alert, the recalled product was distributed to retail stores throughout the nation. The problem was first alerted by consumer complaints.
The foreign material may include hard objects like small stones "within the cashew inclusions," the alert says.
"Danone USA is working with retail partners to remove affected product from shelves. Unaffected product is still available on shelves, and product shipped going forward is not affected by this recall," the alert says in part.
Customers who have purchased the recalled product are urged not to consume it and to contact the So Delicious Dairy Free® Consumer Care Line at 1-833-367-8975 for a replacement coupon or a refund, the alert says. Specialists with Customer Care are available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, or people may use an online form to reach the brand: https://sodeliciousdairyfree.com/contact-us/External Link Disclaimer.
The latest recall impacting the non-dairy frozen dessert comes in the background of heightened attention to foodborne illnesses and recalls, including recent cases of Cyclospora.
Keith Schneider, professor of food safety at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), said in a release sent to Newsweek last week, in part when asked in a survey if the number of food recalls and foodborne outbreaks taking placerecently has increased, "Not necessarily. We tend to hear about them much more often because we have much greater access to information. We now have 24-hour news and social media, so when there is an outbreak or recall, people can hear about it repeatedly throughout the day. An actual news report can go viral, but so can information from someone who may not understand food safety or the science behind an outbreak."
Schneider continued, "That can make it feel like we are seeing an unprecedented number of outbreaks when, in reality, many of the same foodborne pathogens and types of outbreaks have occurred for years. The reality is that we get an estimated 1.2 million cases of salmonella every year, which averages about 100,000 cases a month. There are about 20 million cases of norovirus each year. So, the numbers we’re seeing this summer are not out of the ordinary. The large number of cyclospora cases is unusually high for that organism. On average, we typically see 1,000 to 2,000 cases each year, so more than 20,000 cases is concerning."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
