FDA Warns These Salad Dressings Pose Health Risks

There’s arguably no mealtime option with more versatility than a well-made salad. The dish can be a delicious way to get plenty of healthy vegetables in a single sitting, but it can also incorporate your other favorite items, such as fruit, nuts, or cheese. And while the ingredients can change from one bowl to the next, they all rely on a dressing to bring the flavors together. But before you head into the kitchen to put together a salad of your own, there’s a new recall from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) concerning two popular dressings you may want to avoid. Read on to see which produce-topping products you should toss right now.

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Food safety regulations extend to all of the edible items in your refrigerator, whether they’re fruits, vegetables, meat products, and even popular beverages. They also cover the toppings and condiments you use to spice up your meals—including a few that have been the subject of recent recalls.

In February, Conagra Brands announced a voluntary recall of its Wish-Bone Thousand Island and Chunky Blue Cheese dressings after discovering they contained undeclared egg, which is a known food allergen. The company advised consumers to throw the affected dressings out and report any adverse reactions to their doctor.

More recently, in August, Israeli-based manufacturer Rushdi Food Industries announced a voluntary recall of its Mighty Sesame 10.9 Oz Organic Tahini (Squeezable) distributed to retail stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as Walmart locations nationwide. The company pulled the condiment after lab tests revealed it could be contaminated with Salmonella.

And on Sept. 20, the FDA announced that the GHGA company had issued a recall for a wide range of dips and ready-to-eat vegetable products sold at Kroger supermarkets. The list of 25 items includes dips such as guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, Mexican layered bean dip, and mango salsa, as well as produce items like diced red onion, mushroom stir fry blend, steak topper, and more. GHGA said it issued the recall after a lab test on a single product sample came back positive for Listeria monocytogenes. And now, there are more recalls you may need to know about.

On Sept. 24, the FDA announced that TreeHouse Foods, Inc. had issued a voluntary recall of one lot of its Restaurant Style Italian Dressing it sells under the brand name Tuscan Garden. The products were sold at Aldi locations nationwide from Aug. 23 to Sept. 23 and are packaged in 16-ounce containers. Affected items include the UPC 4099100074871 and “best if used by” date of 08/10/2023 on the neck of the bottle.

The company says it’s pulling the product because some bottles are labeled as Restaurant Style Italian Dressing, while in reality, they could contain Asian Sesame Dressing. The latter contains soy and wheat, which means the potentially harmful ingredients are undeclared on the label. TreeHouse Foods says it became aware of the issue after it received two customer complaints at stores.

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But it’s not just the Tuscan Garden dressing being pulled from shelves. On Sept. 23, VanLaw Food Products Inc. announced it expanded a previous recall of its Whole Foods Market 365 Organic Creamy Caesar Dressing. According to the notice, affected products now include dressings with a “best if used by” date of “SEP 21 22 through JUN 06 23” and the incorrect UPC 99482-49027.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

The latest update widens the company’s original recall announced on Aug. 26, which it issued after discovering the product had undeclared soy and wheat ingredients due to a packaging error that placed another item’s back label onto the bottles. According to the FDA, the known allergens can cause “serious or life-threatening allergic reactions” in some people if they consume the ingredients.

In both cases, no reports of illnesses or adverse health reactions related to the products have been reported. However, the FDA advises any customers who may have purchased salad dressings that are a part of the recall to dispose of them immediately. They can also return the items to their respective place of purchase for a full refund.

The agency reports that the remaining products have all been pulled from store shelves. However, anyone with questions about the recall can also contact either company at the phone numbers listed on the respective alerts.