Zatarain's New Orleans Style RED BEANS AND RICE, ORIGINAL, NET WT 8 OZ, UPC 7142909849

Zatarain's Partnership, L.P. recalled Zatarain's New Orleans Style RED BEANS AND RICE, ORIGINAL, NET WT 8 OZ, UPC 7142909849 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 Dec 17, 2015.

The FDA listed the reason as an undeclared allergen: "Zatarain's is initiating a voluntary recall of Zatarain's Red Beans And Rice Original 8 oz. package, USPC 7142909849 with date code of BEST BY JUL 31 16Z as it may contain Creamy Parmesan Rice Mix which has a dairy allergen (milk)." 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 "Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin." A multi-state footprint means the same lot can surface in households far from the producer. The recalling firm is based in Gretna, LA. The recall covers 1656 units of product. The FDA has Terminated this recall (first reported Feb 10, 2016), 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.