A series of food recalls issued in March and early April 2026 triggered by undeclared allergens has again highlighted the ongoing challenges of allergen management in food manufacturing and labelling.
According to official recall notices published by food regulators, there have been at least 7 recalls due to undeclared allergens so far in March and April 2026. These included chocolate products recalled for undeclared milk on 2 April, coconut water recalled for undeclared milk on 31 March, caramel confectionery recalled for undeclared peanut on 26 March, and both a dukkah product and a ready meal bowl recalled on 20 March due to undeclared cashew and egg, respectively.
While recalls are an important safety mechanism, they rely on consumers being aware of the notice before a product is consumed.
Annually, FSANZ publishes data for all food recalls, with the most recent figures showing that in 2024 there were an average of 4.5 allergen-related recalls per month. Data from earlier years indicate monthly averages ranging from about 2.4 to 4.3 per month. Despite the recent spike, records indicate a total of 8 allergen-related recalls so far in 2026.
Food allergens remain the leading reason for food recalls in Australia. Past analysis of root causes by FSANZ shows errors during packaging are the leading driver of allergen-related recalls.
See the FSANZ website for more details on all food recalls.
