AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a letter to Austin-based Whole Foods Market for failing to label some products with warnings about food allergens.
The letter, dated December 16, states the following, in part:
“As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ongoing efforts to address undeclared allergens as the leading cause of food recalls in the United States, we have analyzed patterns of recalls, and as part of this work, FDA reviewed the history of food recalls for your corporation. These recalls demonstrate that your corporation engaged in a pattern of receiving and offering for sale misbranded food products.”
The chain, which was purchased by Amazon in 2017, has issued 30 food recalls in the last year.
Most of those foods were located in the bakery and deli sections.
The letter further states:
“You should respond in writing within fifteen (15) working days from your receipt of this letter. Your response should include the specific things you are doing to address these violations. You should include in your response documentation and information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections and plans to prevent recurrences. If you believe you have complied with the Act, include your reasoning and any supportive information for our consideration. If you cannot complete all corrections within 15 days, you should explain the reason for your delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.”
Whole Foods is said to be working to address the issue. There are seven Whole Foods Market locations in the Austin area.