The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to Whole Foods alleging the food chain engaged in a pattern of offering misbranded food for sale in the bakery and deli sections of its stores.
Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, has Westchester stores in Port Chester, Yonkers, Chappaqua and White Plains. Its Fairfield County locations are in Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Danbury and Fairfield.
According to the FDA, the warning letter follows a series of recalls in the past year of more than 30 food products sold by Whole Foods. The labels on those products did not declare at least one ingredient that is a major food allergen.
The warning letter went to John Mackey, president and CEO of Whole Foods Market at the company”™s Austin headquarters.
Among the products mentioned were Whole Foods Market Minestrone Soup, Whole Foods Market White Parkerhouse Rolls, sliced cheeses and gelato.
The FDA told Mackey, in part: “FDA reviewed the history of food recalls for your corporation. These recalls demonstrate that your corporation engaged in a pattern of receiving and offering for sale misbranded food products.
“For the time period of October 2019 to November 2020, your firm recalled 32 food products due to undeclared allergen(s). We noticed similar patterns of numerous recalls for undeclared allergens in previous years as well.”
The warning letter called on the chain to respond within 15 working days and advise the agency of steps it has taken or will take to correct the violations.
“Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in enforcement action by FDA without further notice, including seizure and/or injunction,” according to the letter signed by William A. Correll Jr., director of the FDA”™s Office of Compliance, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
“It”™s important that food packaging, at all points of the supply chain, appropriately lists the presence of all major food allergens so that individuals with food sensitivities can take appropriate steps to avoid products that may cause them serious and life-threatening harm,” Correll said in a statement.
“Consumers deserve to know exactly what they are buying to eat and to trust that the product labels clearly list all major food allergens.”
