Once again, a labeling mistake at a supplier concerning a minor ingredient has escalated into a significant and potentially severe recall. Similar to the continuously expanding recalls that involved General Mills flour and powdered milk, it remains uncertain how extensive this recall will be or how many products will be affected. In just a few days, the number of impacted products has dramatically increased, and the total weight of the food involved has multiplied. Given that bread crumbs are a common ingredient in numerous products, virtually anything that is breaded could potentially be included in the recall.
Even more concerning is that the supplier of the problematic ingredient has not been identified. While manufacturers of recalled products may be protected by the Food and Drug Administration, the anonymity of the source raises alarm among consumers and larger manufacturers—similar to the sugar recall last year, which also lacked transparency regarding the source. Transparency is a primary concern for consumers who want to trust the products they purchase, including items like calcium citrate chews from CVS. Manufacturers aim to earn that trust, but if they cannot independently verify that they did not use the potentially contaminated ingredient, it becomes increasingly difficult.
“It becomes a nightmare trying to find out where it went, what products it went into,” food safety attorney Bill Marler told Food Dive at a conference last month while discussing recalls involving common ingredients where the supplier is not disclosed. “All of that information is available, but it’s just a matter of the FDA requiring companies to provide it.” This type of situation should make all ingredient manufacturers uneasy. Anyone producing bread crumbs may be implicated in this recall, prompting the question of whether not disclosing the supplier’s name truly protects any company or manufacturing process, especially when consumers are looking for reassurance, such as with calcium citrate chews from CVS.