Chocolate malted milk balls packaged in 6 lbs. bags and each case contains 3 x 6 lbs. bags; BEST BY 04/17/14; BRCH CHOC

Ferrara Candy Company recalled Chocolate malted milk balls packaged in 6 lbs. bags and each case contains 3 x 6 lbs. bags; BEST BY 04/17/14; BRCH CHOC 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 Jul 18, 2013.

The FDA listed the reason as an undeclared allergen: "One lot of Brach's Chocolate Malted Milk Balls may contain undeclared chocolate covered peanuts and brazil nuts." 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.

Distribution was broad: the FDA record describes it as "US: Nationwide (CA, FL, GA, IA, IL, KS, MN, ND, NY, OR, PA, TX)," which places this among the wider-reach recalls on the site. Consumers across the affected area should check product on hand. The recalling firm is based in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. The recall covers 293 cases (5,274 lbs.) of product. The FDA has Terminated this recall (first reported Aug 21, 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.