Bread sold in Kroger and Walmart recalled over hazelnut allergen risk

Hartford Bakery Inc. is recalling six lots of its ‘Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style 1/2 Loaf’ sold at Kroger and Walmart after discovering hazelnuts in the mislabelled product, posing a serious threat to nut allergy sufferers. The affected bread was distributed across 12 US states.

The company mistakenly packaged and distributed approximately 883 loaves of hazelnut-containing bread as plain white bread without clear allergen warnings. Although the packaging carried a general “May Contain Tree Nuts” statement, it did not specify that the product “Contains Hazelnuts”, a critical omission for anyone with a nut allergy.

Therefore, “out of an abundance of caution,” Hartford Bakery is recalling all units from the six affected lot codes.

Kroger and Walmart stores, along with other retailers, sold the recalled products across Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Mississippi.

Each loaf comes in a 12oz (340g) flexible plastic bag marked with UPC 24126018152 and an expiration date of 13 July 2025.

The affected lot codes are:

• T10 174010206
• T10 174010306
• T10 174010406
• T10 174020206
• T10 174020306
• T10 174020406

In the recall alert, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the details and added:

While there have been no major reports of injury or illness to date, Hartford Bakery is aware of one customer who experienced digestive discomfort after consumption.”

The company also received several complaints from customers who spotted visible hazelnuts before consuming the product.

This incident follows a separate allergen labelling error last week, when Mondelez recalled certain Ritz cracker sandwich packs after mislabelling peanut butter varieties as cheese.

Recall steps for consumers

Hartford Bakery is urging consumers to return any affected products to the point of purchase for a full refund. Customers with questions can contact the company directly at 1-812-425-4642.