FDA warns Whole Foods over not labeling some products with allergens

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the grocery chain Whole Foods to detail the steps it will take to address a “pattern” of product recalls from its deli and bakery sections due to mislabeled food which included undeclared allergens.

A letter from the administration to Whole Foods President and CEO John Mackey sent Dec. 16 urged him to respond within 15 days to an FDA compliance officer and explain how the chain will prevent future products from being sold with labels that do not declare all allergens present in the products.

“You are responsible for investigating and determining the causes of the violations identified above and for preventing their recurrence or the occurrence of other violations. It is your responsibility to ensure your firm complies with all requirements of federal law and implementing regulations,” reads the letter from FDA compliance office director William A. Cornell Jr.

“You should take prompt action to correct all violations noted in this letter, if not already corrected. Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in enforcement action by FDA without further notice, including seizure and/or injunction,” it continued.

There were roughly three dozen violations cited by the FDA against the grocery chain including instances the sale of cheesecake without notice that it contained eggs, as well as the sale of baked goods that did not declare the presence of almonds, which could cause serious reactions for consumers with nut allergies.

A spokesperson for Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, told The Hill that the company is “working closely with the FDA to ensure all practices and procedures in our stores meet if not exceed food safety requirements.”