Easter Candy Recalled Just Before the Holiday

Candy lovers buying for Easter in the U.K. needed to be careful after treats were recalled in early March. The Card Factory needed to recall its “Happy Easter Egg Hunt” bags because they could contain allergens not listed on the packaging in English. The ingredients list on the packages may have only been printed in Polish, the company said. Consumers with food allergies who could not read Polish were put at risk.

The candy in each bag contained milk, peanuts, and soya (soybeans). The list of these ingredients was not printed on the label in English, according to the U.K. Food Standards Agency. The bags could also contain cereals with gluten, egg, and other nuts. That makes the products a health risk to those with allergies to nuts, peanuts, and soybeans, or an intolerance to cereals with gluten, egg, and milk.

The Card Company removed the products from store shelves and advised consumers to contact relevant allergy support groups that will share details about the recall. A notice was also sent out to retailers that will notify them why the products were recalled. Consumers should also return the recalled product for a full refund. Consumers, especially those with food allergies, should not eat the product. The Card Company reps will answer consumer questions via email at customerservice@cardfactory.co.uk.

Last year, Ferrero recalled batches of Kinder Suprise candies popular during the Easter season because of possible Salmonella contamination. Although the recall covered only Kinder Surprise products made in Belgium, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to American consumers. The recall was expanded to include two products sold in the U.S., Kinder Happy Moments Milk Chocolate and Crispy Wafers Assortment, and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Basket.

The Salmonella outbreak linked to Ferrero’s products sickened almost 100 people in the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, Food Safety News reported in April 2022. There were 57 infections in the U.K. alone. All cases involved patients 18 years old or under, with about 60% of patients under 5 years old. The U.K. Food Standards Agency wanted consumers not to eat Kinder Surprise products with best-before dates between July 11, 2022, and Oct. 7, 2022.

More recently, Russell Stover candies were recalled due to an undeclared allergen. In February, the company recalled Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cups in 2.4 oz. packages because they may accidentally contain Sugar-Free Pecan Delights instead. The Peanut Butter Cups packaging does not warn consumers that the food may contain pecans. The mistake was blamed on a third-party co-packaging company error.