Walmart Macaroni Salad Recall Update As FDA Sets Risk Level

A Walmart macaroni salad recalled over the summer has now been issued a risk classification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc, based in Kansas, issued a recall in August for Walmart’s Freshness Guaranteed Original Macaroni Salad because of foreign material in the product, according to the FDA.
The recall, initiated on August 2, impacted 1,782 tubs of the product distributed in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
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The affected cases had use-by dates of 09/18/2024, and are identified by the UPC codes 78742 12653 and 78742 02670. There were two sizes of tubs affected; 16oz and 48oz.
The FDA has now issued a Class II risk classification for the recall as of September 12.
A Class II recall is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.” there are three levels of classification.
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Newsweek has contacted Reser’s Fine Foods Inc and Walmart for comment outside of normal working hours.
Class II classifications have also been given for other recalls launched by Reser’s Fine Foods Inc earlier this summer. These products include the following:
– Amazon Fresh Fresh Classic Macaroni Salad – use by date: 09/13/2024 – UPC code 95515 04502.
– Reser’s Rotisserie Chicken Salad Base – use by date: 09/13/2024 – UPC code 71117 14743.
– Reser’s American Classics Spicy Pickle Potato Salad – use by date: 09/03/2024 – UPC code 71117 19084.
– Reser’s American Classics Garden Pasta Salad – use by date: 09/05/2024 – UPC code 71117 1906.
The presence of foreign objects, such as small pieces of plastic or metal, is one of the leading causes of recalls in the U.S., according to the regulatory compliance company Trace One. Its research revealed that foreign objects accounted for 11.6 percent of all recalls issued between 2020 and 2024.
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The most common cause of food recalls is the presence of unintended allergens and contamination with harmful bacteria or viruses.
Allergen contamination was responsible for almost 40 percent of recalls issued by the FDA and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) between 2020 and 2024, according to Trace One.
The nine major allergens—milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame—are all required by law to be clearly marked on all products to help people avoid foods that could trigger serious allergic reactions.
Bacterial contamination, including by salmonella, E. coli and listeria, is the second-most common reason for recalls, accounting for 21 percent of withdrawals.
“Foodborne diseases can be quite serious––even deadly,” Lisa R. Robinson, vice president of global food safety and public health at Ecolab, told Newsweek.
“The challenge is that the pathogens responsible for foodborne illness are all naturally occurring. Salmonella and E. coli, for example, can be found in the gut biome of chickens and cattle. Cronobacter and listeria are even more present––they can be found in soil and fields, so they’re easily tracked from one environment to another.”