Walk into any grocery store and you’ll see aisles packed with candy bars, chocolate-covered nuts, and sweet treats of every kind. Most of us grab our favorites without a second thought, but lately, several popular candy products have been pulled from store shelves due to serious safety issues. From mislabeled ingredients that could trigger allergic reactions to contamination concerns, these recalls affect millions of shoppers who might have these products sitting in their pantries right now. Knowing which candies are being recalled and why can help keep you and your family safe from potential health risks.
Mauna Loa chocolate covered macadamias contain hidden allergens
Mauna Loa, the Hawaii-based company famous for its macadamia nut products, recently pulled its dark chocolate covered macadamias from stores after discovering the packages might contain undeclared almonds and cashews. The affected products were sold at major retailers including Walmart, Target, and ACME Markets across 17 states and Guam. For anyone with severe nut allergies, finding the wrong type of nut in their candy could trigger a life-threatening reaction, even though both almonds and cashews are technically tree nuts.
The problem was caught during an internal quality check at the third-party manufacturer that makes the chocolate-covered treats. Both 0.6-ounce and 4-ounce bags are affected, and you can identify them by checking the UPC codes and lot numbers printed on the packaging. The 0.6-ounce bags have UPC code 0 72992 05464 4 with lot numbers K5069C1 or K5069C2, while 4-ounce bags have UPC 0 72992 05556 6 with lot numbers B4339E1 or B4340E1. If you’ve got these in your pantry, return them for a full refund.
Zingerman’s mixed up peanut and cashew candy bars
Sometimes the simplest mistakes cause the biggest problems. Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory faced exactly this situation when they accidentally put the wrong candy bars in the wrong boxes. Their Peanut Butter Crush bars ended up in some packages that should have contained Ca$hew Cow bars, and vice versa. This mix-up happened at a production facility in Michigan, and the mispackaged bars made it to stores in both New York and Michigan before anyone noticed the error.
The company traced the problem to what they called a temporary breakdown in their production and packaging processes. If you bought either Peanut Butter Crush or Ca$hew Cow bars with lot number 174250, check your purchase carefully. The Peanut Butter Crush comes in yellow and purple 2-ounce boxes, while Ca$hew Cow bars have light blue and yellow packaging. Fortunately, no one got sick from this mix-up, but for people with specific nut allergies, getting the wrong product could have been dangerous. You can return affected bars to where you bought them for your refund.
Frederik’s dark chocolate almonds actually contained cashews, too
Meijer stores sold Frederik’s brand dark chocolate almonds that turned out to contain more than just almonds. A customer opened their bag and discovered dark chocolate-covered cashews mixed in with the almonds, prompting a recall of both 12-ounce packs and boxes containing eight 1.5-ounce packs. This might not seem like a big deal if you’re thinking all tree nuts are basically the same, but that’s not how allergies work. Someone who can safely eat almonds might still have a severe reaction to cashews.
The FDA takes these labeling errors seriously because even trace amounts of an allergen can cause problems ranging from hives and stomach issues to anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. Meijer acted quickly after receiving the customer complaint, pulling the affected products from their shelves. If you shop at Meijer and picked up Frederik’s dark chocolate almonds recently, check your pantry and return any affected packages. No one reported getting sick from these mixed nuts, but that doesn’t mean the risk wasn’t real for people with cashew allergies who thought they were buying a safe product.
Golden Crop candy used illegal and unlisted food dyes
Bright, colorful candy looks appealing on store shelves, but the dyes that create those eye-catching colors need to be both approved for use and clearly listed on the label. Golden Crop Candy, imported from China by New York-based Blooming Import, failed on both counts. The wrapped candies contained Blue 1 and Red 40, which are permitted in the United States but weren’t listed on the packaging. More concerning, they also contained Acid Red 18, a food coloring that isn’t approved for sale in America at all.
Acid Red 18 has been linked to hyperactivity in some studies, which is one reason it’s banned here. The FDA classified this recall as Class II, meaning the product could cause temporary or reversible health problems, though serious issues are unlikely. Blooming Import pulled 74 cases of the candy from stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Missouri, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, and Delaware. If you bought these candies at an Asian grocery store or specialty shop, check the packaging. Even approved food dyes need to be declared because some people have sensitivities to synthetic colorings and need to know what they’re eating.
Russell Stover accidentally sold pecan chocolates as peanut butter cups
Russell Stover Chocolates ran into trouble when a third-party packaging company made a significant error. Workers at the facility put individually wrapped Sugar Free Pecan Delights into bags that were supposed to contain Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups. The mistake only came to light after a customer contacted the company to report the mix-up. By that time, the incorrectly labeled 2.4-ounce plastic bags had already shipped to wholesalers and retail stores nationwide.
This packaging error is particularly problematic because pecans are tree nuts while peanuts are legumes, and someone allergic to tree nuts might think they’re safe eating a product labeled as containing only peanuts. The FDA requires products to clearly state which specific nuts they contain for exactly this reason. Russell Stover moved quickly to recall the affected products once they learned about the problem. Thankfully, no one reported any adverse health reactions from eating the mislabeled candy. If you bought Russell Stover Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups and found pecans inside, that’s your clue that you have a recalled product that should be returned.
Palmer Candy products might have contained Salmonella bacteria
Palmer Candy Company has been making sweet treats since 1878, but its long history couldn’t prevent a serious contamination scare. The company recalled nearly 30 different products in 2024 after learning that dairy powders from their supplier, used in white candy coating, might harbor Salmonella bacteria. The affected items included candy-coated pretzels, fudge cookies, and various snack mixes sold in different package sizes at Walmart, Hyvee, Target, and Dollar General stores across the country.
Salmonella is no joke. In healthy adults, it causes fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. For elderly people, young children, and anyone with a weakened immune system, the bacteria can cause much more severe illness and even death. The company’s president told reporters the recall affected many tons of products, emphasizing that when it comes to food safety, 99.9% certainty isn’t good enough. No one got sick from eating Palmer Candy products at the time of the recall, but the potential risk was serious enough to pull everything that might have been affected. This recall shows how one contaminated ingredient from a supplier can impact dozens of finished products.
Clasen’s chocolate coating potentially carried dangerous bacteria
Clasen Quality Chocolate faced one of the largest candy recalls in recent years when the company pulled more than 4 million pounds of chocolate products from stores in 2024. The massive recall happened because some of their chocolate might have been contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. The affected items included caramel-flavored confectionery drops, milk chocolate wafers, and milk chocolate-flavored coating sold in California, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
What makes this recall particularly noteworthy is its scale. Four million pounds of chocolate represents a huge amount of product spread across multiple states and potentially sitting in countless pantries and kitchen cabinets. The FDA classified it as Class II, meaning the products could cause temporary health problems that are usually reversible, with a low chance of serious illness. Still, Salmonella contamination is always taken seriously because the consequences can be severe for vulnerable populations. If you bought Clasen chocolate coating products during the affected timeframe, check the company’s recall notice for specific lot numbers and return any matching items.
Toxic Waste Slime Licker bottles posed choking risks
Toxic Waste candy is known for its extreme sour taste, but in 2023, the danger wasn’t from the candy itself. The Slime Licker product, which comes in a plastic bottle with a rolling ball applicator at the top, had a serious design flaw. The small rolling ball could detach during use, creating a choking hazard. Candy Dynamics, the company behind the Toxic Waste brand, received two customer complaints about the ball coming loose before it decided to recall approximately 70 million Slime Lickers.
That’s right, 70 million units. The recalled liquid candies came in strawberry, blue raspberry, apple, and black cherry versions sold at Five Below, Walmart, and on Amazon. Even though the products were manufactured in Spain and Colombia, they were distributed throughout the United States. Small detachable parts are especially dangerous for young children, who might put them in their mouths without realizing the risk. If you bought Toxic Waste Slime Licker bottles for your kids, check to make sure the rolling ball is securely attached. Better yet, contact the company about the recall and get rid of the affected products entirely.
Peanut butter contamination affected multiple candy brands
The 2022 Salmonella outbreak demonstrates how one contaminated ingredient can create a domino effect across multiple products and brands. The problem started at a J.M. Smucker Company production facility where Salmonella was found on the peanut roasting equipment. That contaminated peanut butter ended up in Jif products, which made 21 people sick and sent four to the hospital. But the trouble didn’t stop there because several candy companies use Jif peanut butter in their products.
Euphoria Chocolate Company had to recall its Peanut Butter Classic Truffles, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Meltaways, and Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Meltaways. Coblentz Chocolate Company also pulled selected peanut butter confections from shelves. This recall illustrates why food safety is so complicated. Even if a candy company follows all the right procedures, contamination in an ingredient from another manufacturer can still affect the final product. When you see a recall for candy containing peanut butter, it’s worth checking if you have any chocolate-peanut butter combinations in your pantry from around that time period.
Candy recalls happen more often than most people realize, and they’re not just about minor labeling errors. From contaminated ingredients to packaging mix-ups and design flaws, these safety issues can have serious consequences for consumers. The good news is that companies and regulatory agencies are actively monitoring products and taking action when problems are discovered. Check your pantry against recent recall lists, pay attention to news about food safety, and don’t hesitate to return products that might be affected. Staying informed about these recalls helps protect you and your family from potential health risks hiding in seemingly innocent candy packages.
