Chocolate Recalled Days Before Easter

The Easter bunny won't be filling Easter baskets with one chocolate candy. Just days before Easter, consumers in Canada have been warned against eating Nelson's Chocofellar 60% Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts candy bar after the product was recalled due to the presence of undeclared milk, making it a potentially life-threatening risk.

The recall, announced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Saturday, April 1, only affects the 60% Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts candy bar. The affected product was sold in a 78-gram size in British Columbia. Candy bars included in the recall have UPC 7 27908 44645 6 and code DH0111238. No other products are affected. Consumers can view images of the recalled chocolate bar by clicking here.

The CFIA gave the recall a Class 1 classification, the highest classification option available that is reserved for instances in which "there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." The recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency test results, which found the presence of milk in the product. Milk was not declared on the product label. Milk is one of the most common food allergies in children and can pose a potentially life-threatening risk for those with a milk allergy. Signs and symptoms of a milk allergy occur a few minutes to a few hours after consumption of milk or a milk product and range from mild to severe. Although symptoms may vary from person to person, they commonly include wheezing, vomiting, hives and digestive problems. According to the Mayo Clinic, milk is the third most common food, after peanuts and tree nuts, to cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction that narrows the airways and can block breathing.

Although there have been no reported reactions associated with the consumption of this product, per the CFIA recall notice, the product was recalled due to the severe health risk it poses. Health officials said the recalled candy bar should not be consumed if consumers are allergic to milk or any of the other ingredients that were declared on the label. The product also should not be sold, served, or distributed. Consumers have been advised to either throw the recalled candy bar away or return it to the place of purchase. The CFIA added, "The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled products from the marketplace."