The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. following inspections that revealed incorrect allergen labelling on some of their bakery products. These inspections, conducted in late 2023 at two production facilities, found ingredients were misrepresented on the labels of some ready-to-eat bread products.
At one site, FDA inspectors discovered that some of the company’s breads listed sesame as an ingredient on the label, despite sesame not being present in the product formulations. Similarly, the labels on other bread products listed walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts as ingredients without the product formulation containing these ingredients.
Mislabelling products with ingredients such as allergens that are not present in the formulation is a violation of the U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA emphasises that food businesses must follow good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and implement preventive controls to prevent allergen cross-contact rather than using blanket ‘contains’ statements as a substitute.
Bimbo Bakeries USA was given 15 days to respond with corrective actions or explanations regarding these violations.
See the FDA’s full press release here: FDA Issues Warning Letter to Bimbo Bakeries Over Food Allergen Labelling Concerns
