Trader Giotto's CAESAR Salad with Caesar Dressing; Perishable, keep refrigerated. Packaged in Net Wt. 8.5 oz (241 g) plastic clamshell. Manufactured for Trader Joe's Manufactured by Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods, inc. Vallejo, CA 94950.

Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods INC. recalled Trader Giotto's CAESAR Salad with Caesar Dressing in a Class I action — the FDA's most serious tier, reserved for products with a reasonable probability of causing serious health consequences or death on Nov 3, 2013.

The FDA listed the reason as an undeclared allergen: "Report of mislabeled Caesar Salads with a use by date of 11/3/13 due to undeclared allergens of soy, fish and wheat on the ingredient and allergen statement." Allergen mislabeling is the leading cause of U.S. food recalls, because a missing declaration can trigger a reaction in someone who reads the label and believes the product is safe.

The product reached multiple states, recorded by the FDA as "Northern CA and NV (Reno and Carson City)." A multi-state footprint means the same lot can surface in households far from the producer. The recalling firm is based in Vallejo, CA. The recall covers 709 units of product. The FDA has Terminated this recall (first reported Nov 27, 2013), its final lifecycle state, indicating the agency considers the corrective action resolved. The historical record remains useful for tracking a brand's recall pattern over time.