Nestle is recalling a whopping 14 tons of frozen DiGiorno Crispy Pan Crust pepperoni pizza due to a misbranding issue. According to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the product above doesn’t mention that it contains textured soy protein. And seeing as how soy is an allergen, it could be problematic for some people to eat it. We’ve seen food recalls before, but this DiGiorno pizza recall is unique insofar as its scope.
The pizza being recalled
It’s worth stressing that not all DiGiorno pizzas are being recalled. Again, the product at issue is the Crispy Pan Crust pepperoni pizza. According to the FSIS, the packages subject to the recall are the 26-oz cartons with lot code 1181510721. The boxes also have a “Best By” date of March 2022 on the label.
The FSIS further adds that the boxes have an establishment number of “EST. 1682A” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Soy allergy symptoms to look out for
If you have the DiGiorno pizza boxes in your freezer, you should throw them out immediately. Note that consumers who purchased the product are eligible for a full refund.
Even if you don’t have a soy allergy, the last thing you’d want to do is serve it to someone who checked the label and mistakenly believes it’s a soy-free product.
A few soy allergy symptoms, per the Mayo Clinic, can be seen below:
- Tingling in the mouth
- Hives; itching; or itchy, scaly skin (eczema)
- Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat, or other body parts
- Wheezing, a runny nose, or breathing difficulty
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
- Skin redness (flushing)
And though severe soy allergy symptoms are rare, they can sometimes cause difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, a severe drop in blood pressure, dizziness, and a loss of consciousness.
All that said, the pizza recall in this case is something of a precautionary measure. To date, there have been no reports of consumers experiencing adverse effects from the mislabeled product.
Who to contact if you have questions or concerns
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the pizza recall, you can reach out to Lauren Rubbo, Nestle’s Manager of External Communications. Her email is lauren.rubbo@us.nestle.com. Additionally, users can contact Bonita Cleveland, Nestle’s Consumer Services Manager. Her email is bonita.cleveland@us.nestle.com and her number is 1-800-681-1676.
