On Monday, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service shared that more than 8,000 boxes of frozen meat pizza sold at Walmart were being recalled because of a misbranding issue.
The FSIS announcement shared that the misbranding fails to properly identify potential allergens that could prove fatal.
The pizzas affected by the recall were made by the meat processing plant 802 VT Frozen in Newport and contain soy, a known allergen.
The USDA said that, so far, there have been “no confirmed reports of adverse reactions” stemming from the pizzas, which contain Italian-style sweet sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, and a cheese blend of mozzarella and provolone.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, one in 13 children under 3 are allergic to soy, which can cause a host of dangerous symptoms.
Those allergic to soy who consume it could have difficulty breathing, weak pulse, stomach cramps, swollen tongue, dizziness, and confusion, the college shared.
In rare instances, consumption of soy could cause “a potentially life-threatening reaction that impairs breathing, causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and can send the body into shock,” it shared.
As for the recall, the FSIS shared that it detected the mislabeled pizzas during a routine inspection.
“FSIS determined that the product contained soy, which was not declared on the label,” the USDA said.
The affected packages in the recall have a “best if used by” date range from April 25, 2024, to April 25, 2025. They also have an “EST. 46308” number inside the USDA mark of inspection, the alert shared.
The affected products were sold in grocery store chains, including Walmart, in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.