FDA Issues Warning Letter to Whole Foods Over Allergen Mislabeling

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Dec. 22 that it issued a warning letter to Whole Foods Market after repeated recalls of foods packaged with incorrect allergen labeling.

The FDA said Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market engaged in a pattern of receiving and offering for sale misbranded food products under their own brand name, and in some cases, receiving finished products for repackaging and label them using misbranded scale labels. The finished product labels, according to the FDA, failed to declare all major food allergens, as required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

“Whole Foods Market takes food safety very seriously. We are working closely with the FDA to ensure all practices and procedures in our stores meet, if not exceed, food safety requirements,” a Whole Foods Market spokesperson told WGB. “We remain committed to maintaining the highest-quality standards in the industry.”

Between October 2019 and November 2020, Whole Foods recalled more than 30 food products due to undeclared allergens, the FDA said. The products were sold primarily in the bakery and deli sections of the store and are no longer available for sale. The FDA said it noticed similar patterns of numerous recalls by Whole Foods for undeclared allergens in previous years as well.  

Whole Foods is required to respond within 15 business days of receiving the warning letter to inform the FDA of what it is doing to address the violation