Nearly 65,000 pounds of butter have been pulled from distribution nationwide after officials found a serious labeling error involving a major food allergen. Bunge North America, based in Chesterfield, Missouri, issued a voluntary recall on July 14 for 1,800 cases of NH European Style Butter Blend because milk was not listed on the product label. The company is a major agribusiness that produces food ingredients for restaurants, bakeries, and food manufacturers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first classified this as a Class III recall, meaning low risk of health problems. On July 30, regulators upgraded the classification to Class II, meaning the product may cause temporary or reversible health problems.
How to Spot the Recalled Butter in Your Kitchen
The recalled butter is NH European Style Butter Blend, sold in white paperboard cases with 36 individual blocks. Consumers should look for these identifying numbers: product code 5023937, UPC (barcode) 10078684 73961 2, and lot code 5064036503.
The FDA urges consumers to check their butter products for the identification codes listed above. The problem here is that milk appears in the product but not on the packaging, which breaks food safety rules.
If the codes match, do not eat the butter at all, even if no one in your household has milk allergies. You can either dispose of the product safely or return it to the store for a full refund. Most retailers will accept returns even without a receipt.
Do not give the recalled item to others or donate it to food banks. This puts more people at risk of allergic reactions, especially those with milk allergies who won’t know the ingredient is present.
If you ate the butter and feel allergy symptoms, see a doctor right away. Doctors can evaluate how serious the reaction isand decide if you need emergency treatment. If you have severe milk allergies, keep your emergency medication ready, such as an EpiPen if prescribed.
see continuation on next page
