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This popcorn could trigger an allergic reaction, so don’t eat it

Published May 14th, 2021 2:33PM EDT
popcorn recall
Image: Christian Delbert/Adobe

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Popcorn is a snack that will probably always be around. It’s just so perfect for snacking that it’s hard to imagine it ever falling out of style. Most flavors are relatively guilt-free, but kettle corn, as tasty as it is, can be surprisingly high in sugar if that’s a thing you care about. Unfortunately for customers that purchased Jolly Time’s Healthy Pop Kettel Corn, the snack contains something that it shouldn’t, and the company has been forced to issue a recall.

In the recall bulletin posted by the FDA, Jolly Time Pop Corn says that its product “may contain undeclared milk ingredients.” Milk is a known allergen that can cause extremely serious reactions in individuals who are sensitive to it. Potential consequences of eating a product that contains milk when you have a milk allergy can range from swelling and redness to trouble breathing and even life-threatening reactions. This recall applies to a number of states and retailers across the United States.

The company says that it distributed the now-recalled popcorn to stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The retailers that carried the popcorn in those states include Associated Food Stores, Independent Stores, Dillon Stores, Fareway, Ralphs, and Thiesen Supply.

The specific product being recalled has a UPC of 2819000141 and a production code of “1025 (time) 3&4.” The “best by” date on the popcorn packages is January 25th, 2022.

The mixup here wasn’t with the ingredients used to make the popcorn, but rather that the wrong flavor of popcorn was put in bags labeled as kettle corn. The packaging doesn’t note that milk is an ingredient in kettle corn (because it’s not), so consumers may accidentally eat the product in those bags without realizing it’s the wrong flavor.

Via the recall bulletin:

No allergic reactions related to this matter have been reported to date. If consumers have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk, they are encouraged not to consume the product and discard it immediately. JOLLY TIME Pop Corn has informed the FDA of the action.

Consumers with the product noted above can contact JOLLY TIME Pop Corn at 1-712-239-1232 (8 am – 4:45 pm CST, Monday-Friday) or via email at popcorn@jollytime.com.

The company is asking that customers avoid eating the recalled popcorn, especially if they have a milk allergy. When stuff like this happens, it’s usually a good idea to just get rid of the product or return it to the store where it was purchased, even if you’re not allergic or aren’t sure. If the product was put in the wrong bag, something went wrong during its packaging and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Just take it to your local grocery store and swap it out for something that isn’t recalled and resume your snacky.