Elevated risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Betty Lou’s Paleo Java Nuts About Energy Balls with Cacao, Coffee & Pumpkin Seeds recall: Undeclared sesame allergen

Recall published 3+ years ago

Undeclared sesame allergen

Betty Lou’s Beverages — recalled beverages
Photo published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Undeclared sesame

This recall is a labelling failure: sesame is present and the label does not say so. That is harmless to most households and genuinely dangerous to a few.

What the notice says: People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Why it matters: The label does not declare sesame, so anyone who reads labels to avoid it has no way of knowing it is in there. For people without that allergy the product is safe to eat.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

An undeclared allergen is a danger only to people allergic or intolerant to that ingredient. For everyone else the food is safe. Reactions range from an itchy mouth, hives, stomach cramps or vomiting through to anaphylaxis — swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, a tight chest, wheezing, a sudden drop in blood pressure or collapse. If anaphylaxis is suspected, use an epinephrine auto-injector straight away and call 911, even if the symptoms seem to settle, because a second wave can follow hours later.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
July 10, 2023
Risk level
Elevated risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Betty Lou’s
Product type
Beverages
Distribution
Alaska, Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington
UPC codes
016073521465, 016073521462
Reports of harm
No reports of illnesses or injury have been reported to date.

Products covered by this recall

Paleo Java Nuts About Energy Balls with Cacao, Coffee & Pumpkin Seeds

What the company announced

July 10th, 2023, Betty Lou’s Inc., McMinnville, OR is voluntarily recalling 1.5oz (42g) packages of Betty Lou’s Brand Paleo Java Nuts About Energy Balls with Cacao, Coffee & Pumpkin Seeds, BB 08MAY24 1283, due to undeclared sesame allergen. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

The recalled product was shipped to retail stores, distribution companies, or directly to consumers in AL, AK, CA, CO, CT, FL, MI, MO, NH, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, and WA.

Betty Lou’s Brand Paleo Java Nuts About Energy Balls with Cacao, Coffee & Pumpkin Seeds are packaged and sold individually in 1.5oz (42g) packages, with UPC 0 1607352146 5, or packaged into 12ct displays box with UPC 0 1607352146 2.

Individual packages 1.5oz are marked with best by date and lot number on the inside of the fin seal on the back of the package or printed on the back of the display box. Packages with BB 08MAY24 1283 are included in this recall.

No other products or lots are affected by this recall.

No reports of illnesses or injury have been reported to date.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered by a regular Betty Lou’s Inc. internal review, an old version roll of packaging was used during production, and product containing sesame was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of sesame.

This recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Customers with a sesame allergy or sensitivity who have purchased the affected product are urged not to consume the product and dispose of it or return it to their place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Betty Lou’s Inc. at 503-434-5205 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm PST, Monday-Friday.

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 4 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 016073521465
  • 016073521462

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 1.5 oz
  • 12 ct

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Sesame

Betty Lou’s — This recall is a labelling failure: sesame is present and the label does not say so. That is harmless to most households and genuinely dangerous to a few.

  1. If anyone in your household avoids sesame, stop serving the product immediately and check whether any was used in food already prepared.
  2. Keep the pack if you want a refund, or photograph the label and the lot code and then bin it. If nobody in the house avoids sesame, you may simply eat it — the recall is about disclosure, not spoilage.
  3. Make sure the household epinephrine auto-injector is where it should be and in date, if someone here carries one.
  4. If a reaction has already happened, report it to the FDA through its consumer complaint coordinator so the case is attached to this recall.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Remedy named in the notice: Customers with a sesame allergy or sensitivity who have purchased the affected product are urged not to consume the product and dispose of it or return it to their place of purchase for a full refund.

Company contact: Betty Lou’s Inc. — Consumers: Betty Lou’s, 503-434-5205

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Betty Lou’s beverages recalled?

Undeclared sesame allergen People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 016073521465, 016073521462. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

If anyone in your household avoids sesame, stop serving the product immediately and check whether any was used in food already prepared.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: Customers with a sesame allergy or sensitivity who have purchased the affected product are urged not to consume the product and dispose of it or return it to their place of purchase for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Alaska, Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and others.

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