Cake mixes part of urgent US recall over potential risk of death

A brand of cake mix sold across the United States has been recalled over a risk of severe illness or death.

A recall on Dallas-based distribution company B.C. Williams Bakery Service’s bakery mixes has recently been elevated to Class I by the FDA, meaning there is a serious health risk associated with consuming the products.

The recall was originally announced in December due to an undeclared milk allergen that was not listed on the label of various cake and bread mixes sold by the company.

It is not yet known where the mixes were sold or distributed.

The products affected by the recall are the 50-pound multi-wall bags of both the Spice Cake Mix and the Swiss Chocolate Cake Mix.

Lot numbers associated with the affected products include:

Those who have purchased the affected products are urged to avoid using the recalled mixes, especially if they have a dairy allergy.

The Independent has contacted B.C. Williams Bakery Service for comment.

Milk is identified as one of the nine major food allergies in the U.S., along with soy, wheat, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame, according to the FDA.

Allergic reactions to these nine foods vary but can involve “hives and lip swelling to severe, life-threatening symptoms, often called anaphylaxis, that may involve fatal respiratory problems and shock.”

There have been many different food recalls in the U.S. this year due to allergy risks. Last month, thousands of units of M&M’s products were recalled across more than a dozen states because their packaging did not include proper allergen warnings.

The recall was announced by the FDA after it emerged that more than 6,000 units had been repackaged by Beacon Promotions Inc. without advisories that they may contain milk, soy and peanuts.

It was first issued on January 26, and last week, the FDA classified the recall as Class II, meaning consuming the product could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

The M&M’s in question were distributed in packaging that was labelled for promotional purposes, according to the FDA, and could contain any of the following promotional labels or packages listed here.

They were distributed in the following 20 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Anyone who has the products in question and is allergic to or sensitive to nuts, soy, or milk should throw them away. Those who are not allergic or sensitive can safely consume them.