The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of some Vanilla Cuties-brand mini frozen dessert sandwiches due to a labeling error.
The federal agency said Tofutti Brands Inc. identified 12 pallets of its eight-pack frozen dessert novelties as possibly containing milk, although the product is labeled “Milk Free.” The FDA said that presents a health risk for people who have an allergy, severe sensitivity or intolerance to dairy products.
The product — distributed in the Midwest, New England, California and New York City areas — carries a manufacturing facility code “360-300” appearing on one of the two end flaps of the box.
Consumers who might have purchased the recalled frozen dessert products can return them for a full refund or can contact the company at 908-272-2400.
[The product is under the Chof-K supervision]
(Source: UPI)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
20 Responses
is this a kashrus issue–is the amount of dairy botul?
its probably a kashrus issue cuz tofuttis are parve
Cholov Stam or Cholov Yisrael?
Investigation and reports from Distributors and store visits indicate that none of the suspect product remains in distribution and it is not currently being offered for sale.
See http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/tofutti05_09.html
from kashrut.com : According to the Kof-K, the recalled products are halachically pareve and contain about 10 ppm milk. (parts per million)
kashrut.com: According to the Kof-K, the recalled products are halachically pareve and contain about 10 ppm (parts per million) milk.
Ed. note: According to the Kof-K, the recalled products are halachically pareve and contain about 10 ppm milk.
It was only a possibility of trace contamination which means it would be VERY batul. People with severe milk allergies who get reactions from dairy ingredients in the parts per thousand etc., range eat commercial products at their own risk. As bad as it sounds they might as well play russian roulette.
Here is the notice:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — May 12, 2009 — Tofutti Brands Inc. has completed a precautionary investigative recall of 12 pallets of its 8-Pack VANILLA CUTIES mini sandwich frozen dessert novelties (UPC 0-20188-01301-2) due to possible trace level milk contamination reported for a limited number of lots shipped which were produced in July of 2008. VANILLA CUTIES are labeled as Milk Free and persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity or intolerance to Dairy products run the risk of serious or life-threatening injury if they consume products with milk ingredients. Tofutti Brands uses stringent quality controls to prevent milk contamination of its products and sells more than 60 million individual VANILLA CUTIES each year.
From early March to early April 2009 Tofutti Brands received telephone reports from 6 consumers who experienced skin rash symptoms after eating VANILLA CUTIES produced at a minor production facility during 3 days in July of 2008. No illness or serious injury has been reported and no further reports have been received. The suspect product in question was identified as having been produced at only this one minor facility and the 12 pallets shipped from the suspect lots have been recalled. The bulk of these 12 pallets were recalled from the New York City metro area as well as from some distributed to the Midwest, New England, the Mid Atlantic Region and California. No complaints from consumers were received from the Midwest or New England Regions. Investigation and reports from Distributors and store visits indicate that none of the suspect product remains in distribution and it is not currently being offered for sale.
The suspect product in the above 12 pallets is identified by the labeled Manufacturing facility code 360-300 which will appear on one of the two end flaps of the box of the VANILLA CUTIES. Consumers who may have purchased VANILLA CUTIES bearing this code are urged to return them to the place of purchase for full refund. This recall does not involve any of the Company’s vanilla or other flavored TOFUTTI CUTIES manufactured at its other facility. Consumers with questions may contact the Company at 908-272-2400, Monday-Friday, from 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
Chof-k says the milk is 3 parts per million and is bottul.
to # 2 read #1 is the amouny of dairy botul
to #3 Probably not chalav yisroel
tofutti is pareve the problem most probably an
ingredient error wrong ingredient shipped & slipped by mashgiach (how is a big question)
highly unlikely it was punkt cholov yisroel
Cholov Yisrael is a minhag. The real halachik problem here is basr b’chalav which the Kof-K says is not a problem here because it is batul (1/100,000).
Tuhis is from yesterday’s kashrus alert..There is no need for worry or panic
The following milk allergy alert is from the FDA on May 13, 2009 .
Tofutti Brands Inc. has completed a precautionary investigative recall of 12 pallets of its 8-Pack VANILLA CUTIES mini sandwich frozen dessert novelties (UPC 0-20188-01301-2) due to possible trace level milk contamination reported for a limited number of lots shipped which were produced in July of 2008. VANILLA CUTIES are labeled as Milk Free and persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity or intolerance to Dairy products run the risk of serious or life-threatening injury if they consume products with milk ingredients. From early March to early April 2009 Tofutti Brands received telephone reports from 6 consumers who experienced skin rash symptoms after eating VANILLA CUTIES produced at a minor production facility during 3 days in July of 2008. No illness or serious injury has been reported and no further reports have been received. The suspect product in question was identified as having been produced at only this one minor facility and the 12 pallets shipped from the suspect lots have been recalled. The bulk of these 12 pallets were recalled from the New York City metro area as well as from some distributed to the Midwest, New England, the Mid Atlantic Region and California. Investigation and reports from Distributors and store visits indicate that none of the suspect product remains in distribution and it is not currently being offered for sale.
The suspect product in the above 12 pallets is identified by the labeled Manufacturing facility code 360-300 which will appear on one of the two end flaps of the box of the VANILLA CUTIES. Consumers who may have purchased VANILLA CUTIES bearing this code are urged to return them to the place of purchase for full refund. This recall does not involve any of the Company’s vanilla or other flavored TOFUTTI CUTIES manufactured at its other facility. Consumers with questions may contact the Company at 908-272-2400, Monday-Friday, from 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
Ed. note: According to the Kof-K, the recalled products are halachically pareve and contain about 10 ppm milk.
Chalov Yisroel IS NOT a
minhag. It is a gezeirah/
takanah from chazal. It is
found in the Shulchan Aruch.
It was carefully followed
throughout the generations.
HaRav HaGaon Posek HaDor and
Sar HaTorah Rav Moshe
Feinstein ztzvk”l understood,
for reasons too complicated
to go into here (even though
they have been oversimplified
in the past and may, to some
degree, not even apply today)
that consumimg stam chalov (or
factory as he called it) was
NEVER part of the takanah.
That does not make it minhag.
In fact it may mean the
halacha is being fulfilled in
its fullest form even by those
eating stam chalav. Those who
choose, on the other hand,
to purchase only CY products
are not being overly zealous.
They are simply following
the halachah as it was followed
for years and according to
the takanas chazal. Nobody
on either side of the fence
is doing wrong, but likewise
nobody is only following a
custom. Some authorities
have suggested that one is
not strict regarding CY, but
rather lenient regarding SC.
I prefer the first outlook,
but certainly there is no
minhag herem
We dont rely on bittil as a l’chatchilleh
from july 2008? do they keep well for so long?
11, You have no idea what you are talking about! There is no problem with bosor b’cholov here since it is batul and that is EVEN if you were to make it HOT and cook it with your broiled steak. I once heard that anyone could “stam ployder” and you are “ploydering!”
10, If you know anything about facilities operate you wouldnt ask that question. I have NO SHAYLA WHATSOEVER against the Mashgiach. When you deal with PPM there is NOTHING the mashgiach could do. This is only conjecture here (conjecture for the uneducated in essence means “I am thinking out loud”) but PPM could mean there was a dairy run before and the cleanout left over VERY MINOR (read: Microscopic!) traces of dairy. It could also mean there were AIRBORNE particles in the plant. It could also mean that one of the raw materials came from a plant that produced dairy too and there were airborne particles there.
So much could have happened. I stand by my previous statement when I said, “People with severe milk allergies who get reactions from dairy ingredients in the parts per thousand etc., range eat commercial products at their own risk. As bad as it sounds they might as well play russian roulette!!”
And the mishpacha magazine has a recipe this week with this as an ingredient.
What I meant by “minhag” is that according R’ Moshe ZTL’s psak, it is a chumra, as opposed to basar b’chalav which is a diyoraisa. Either way, it is battul here.
# 18: I am sorry but you missed the point of my previous post. Rav Moshe does not say anywhere in any of the responsa he wrote on the subject that “keeping cholov Yisroel” is a chumra. Indeed he says one should, l’chatchilah, do so. He also writes that Yeshivos should, under no circumstances, be lenient in this as they have an obligation to do everything l’chatchilah. The essence of what he wrote is that the takanah of chazal does not apply to “factory milk.” The basis of that decission may not apply today due to many factors as I indicated. Without a doubt, accoding to Rav Moshe z”l one is not transgressing any takanas chazal. But one is not being m’kayim one either. Those who use only CY products are fulfilling the not only the spirit of the law, but the letter of the law as well. Besides, not relying on a heter, as most people see Rav Moshe’s p’sak, is not a chumra as much as relying on one is a kula. Again, I am not judging anyone or any behavior. Certainly, one may rely on Rav Moshe. But is his p’sak binding or may I choose freely, and without fear of being judged a “frumie” or a “machmir,” to follow the halachah as it is brought and without any heterim?
folks, lets leave the learning to the rabbis not internet bloggers.
BTW- several noted poskim were screaming years ago that this company has a milk derivative inside it & ” ain mevatlim issur l’chatchila” so is this is really old news or perhaps a new issue?