We hate to think that anything could go wrong while making chocolatey sweets, but yes, even chocolate has problems. The details behind some of America's biggest chocolate recalls tell a flawed story, one that continues to expose the shortcomings of modern day food production, not only in the U. Issues or oversights stemming from inside chocolate factories have resulted in staggering amounts of dangerous chocolate products being removed from commercial distribution.
Can a few bites or sips of a chocolate treat really land people in the hospital? One of the biggest threats chocolate goods pose to consumers is the presence of undeclared allergens, specifically milk or nuts.
These ingredients taste great with chocolate, but they also happen to be classified as major allergens by the FDA Food and Drug Administration. If a chocolate product's packaging doesn't include a warning for possible traces of certain allergens, it better not contain any. Undeclared allergens, bacterial contamination, and other nefarious findings have kickstarted some significant chocolate and candy recalls in the U. Food manufacturers have an obligation to keep their customers safe, and it's up to either the USDA United States Department of Agriculture or the FDA or sometimes, both to ensure mass-produced food and drink — including those made with chocolate — do not put the public's health at risk.
The recalls on this list show a not-so-sweet side of the chocolate business. Times have been tough for Clasen Quality Chocolate. The company began as a European bakery in Madison, Wisconsin in and grew into a huge chocolate coatings manufacturer, wholesaling its goods all over North America. Yet for Clasen, operating a chocolate business on a humongous scale has given way to some humongous recalls. In May , a multi-product recall for potential salmonella contamination affected 4,, pounds of chocolate, and became one of the biggest recalls of At the time of this writing, the recall remains ongoing.
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The recall predominantly affected bulk batches of chocolate wafers, chocolate confectionary coating, and chocolate-flavored confectionary drops. Bulk tankers of recalled chocolate were implicated in the recall Clasen launched its namesake trucking fleet in , which contributed to the sheer weight of the situation. The recalled amount of Clasen milk chocolate-flavored confectionary coating alone made up for 2,, pounds of the total recall.
