Publix Pie Was Recalled Just Before Thanksgiving

There's been a troubling update about Publix, and it couldn't have come at a worse time. One of the grocery store chain's pies has been recalled as the United States celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday. To add to the trouble, the FDA didn't get the word out to the public until days after the initial notice.

On Nov. 17, Publix issued a recall of Publix Bakery Egg Custard Pie that only affects "specific batches." The pies in question were sold between Oct. 20 and Nov. 16 and are recognizable with the GTIN# 4141537891. Publix says there was some sort of mixup in the packaging process, and "the Egg Custard Pie package may contain a coconut pie."

The company cautions, "People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to coconut may run the risk of serious life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products." Floridians who purchased a pie from stories in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties should exercise caution.

A troubling aspect of this recall lies in the fact that the FDA did not share the notice until Nov. 21. That delay is troublesome and could have left some Publix shoppers vulnerable, especially as Thanksgiving week festivities began in the week prior to the holiday. However, we're thankfully not seeing any reports of medical episodes caused by this mix-up as of press time.

Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous also issued a statement on the recall. "As part of our commitment to food safety, potentially impacted products have been removed from all store shelves," Brous said. "To date, there have been no reported cases of illness. Consumers who have purchased the product in question may return the product to their local store for a full refund. Publix customers with additional questions may call our customer care department toll-free at 1-800-242-1227 or visit our website at publix.com."

This Publix Bakery Egg Custard Pie recall is the latest ill-timed recall as the world enters the holiday season. Other recent recalls include one for butter and one for turkey gravy.