When you think of the brand name Hershey’s you think of chocolate. It’s a strong brand that goes back decades, and while Hershey’s chocolate bars might be one of the most iconic candy bars of all time, the company’s products aren’t confined to the supermarket checkout racks. Hershey’s makes, among other things, chocolate toppings for ice cream and other treats, and a lot of its chocolate shell topping is now unfortunately recalled because of a mixup at the packaging facility.
According to a new recall bulletin posted by the FDA, the Hershey Company is issuing a recall of a single lot of its chocolate shell topping due to undeclared almonds. This isn’t a case where the product was cross-contaminated with an almond product, however. This recall is due to a total lapse in packaging protocol that resulted in Hershey’s bottles being filled with Heath shell topping instead. The Heath bar-flavored topping includes almonds, among other ingredients not included in the Hershey’s topping, and as almonds are a serious allergen, a recall had to be issued.
The recall bulletin provides some additional detail as to how many of the bottles were incorrectly filled with the wrong topping. Hershey’s says that one lot was affected, and that comes to approximately 1,700 bottles, according to the company. The product was shipped across the United States between the dates of April 15th and May 3rd, and the product code on the bottles says 25JSAS1. The UPC of the recalled product is 346000. That information can be used to identify the recalled bottles, so if you recently bought some Hershey’s shell topping, check your bottle and compare the numbers.
Almonds are one of several potentially severe allergens that often spark product recalls. Allergens like nuts, milk, and soy can cause severe reactions in individuals that are allergic to them. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from a rash or swelling to more serious issues such as breathing difficulties and even death. It might sound silly to someone without such an allergy, but these recalls have to be taken extremely seriously as they could ultimately put lives in danger.
Hershey’s explains how the issue was discovered:
There have been no reports of illness or injury to date. The situation arose due to an isolated error at a contract manufacturing facility. Immediate steps were taken to prevent recurrence. Hershey is conducting this recall with the full knowledge and cooperation of the US Food and Drug Administration.
If you have one of the recalled bottles of Hershey’s topping you are advised to discard the product and contact the company for a full refund. The instructions, via the recall page, are as follows:
Consumers who purchased Hershey’s Chocolate Shell Topping products after April 15 with lot code 25JSAS1 should not consume the product and should contact Hershey Consumer Relations for a full refund by calling 1-866-528-6848 Monday through Friday from (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST) or visit http://www.askhershey.com.
