By Personal Injury Attorney Joseph P. Awad with Silberstein, Awad, & Miklos, P.C..
People are surrounded by, and use, a number of different products every day. In most instances, those products are safe and will not cause any harm. But in some cases, something as seemingly harmless as a bag of almonds can be very dangerous to people. This is the lesson Aldi stores, and food manufacturer Kanan Enterprises, have recently learned.
Kanan Enterprises and Aldi issued a voluntarily recall of bags of Southern Grove Unsalted Almonds in early June due to a food packaging error. After receiving reports from customers they learned that wasabi almonds were included in some packages of the unsalted almonds.
The wasabi almonds contain soy and wheat, two of the most serious allergens that can be fatal for those that have an allergy to them. Even if a customer with an allergy did not consume the wasabi almonds, the very fact that they were packaged with the unsalted almonds could be enough to trigger an allergic reaction.
“Failure to warn is one of the most common mistakes manufacturers make in product liability cases,” says Joseph P. Awad of Silberstein, Awad, & Miklos, P.C.. “Kanan Enterprises and Aldi both did the right thing by issuing the recall and getting the packages off the shelves. In doing so, they protected their customers, as well as themselves.”
While it was only the 14-ounce packages that were affected, they were distributed in 13 different states primarily along the Eastern coast and at Aldi stores.
No one was reportedly hurt in the instance of this recall. However, it does show just how easily a seemingly harmless product can become dangerous to some.
Consumers are advised to check the Food and Drug Administration’s website regularly for recalls of packaged foods. As the case of Kanan Enterprises’ unsalted almonds proves, this is especially important for people with food allergies that may be consuming packaged foods.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also regularly updates its list of all products that have been recalled and it is important that consumers regularly check their website as well. After all, recalls only work when customers know about them.