Thousands of Walmart frozen meat pizzas recalled due to soy allergy risk

More than 8,000 pounds of frozen meat pizza distributed up and down the northeat has been recalled for containing a potentially deadly allergen.

Pizzas from Vermont-based food producer 802 VT Frozen distributed pizzas to gorcery stores including Walmart that contained soy even though they were not labeled as such, potentially putting many consumers at risk of anaphylaxis.

The pizzas were sent to grocery stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

People who bought them are encouraged to dispose of or return for refund any pizzas with a ‘best if used by’ date range between April 25, 2024, and April 25, 2025.

Soy is a common food allergy that most affects children – and eating it can result in symptoms such as hives, vomiting, wheezing, and diarrhea or, in rare cases, anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life threatening reaction.

Around 50 million Americans are estimated to have some kind of food allergy, and soy allergies are found in around 0.4 percent of children. 

Most will outgrow the allergy, but some, though it’s not known how many, will have the allergy into adulthood.

A report from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has found that 45 percent of people experience the onset of at least one food allergy after the age of 17. 

The pizzas from 802 VT Frozen come in 17.8-oz. cardboard box containing “802 VT Frozen MEAT!!! CRISPY WOOD-FIRED CRUST HAND MADE PIZZA” on the front.

The boxes of pizzas impacted by the recall will be stamped ‘EST. 46308’ inside the USDA mark of inspection.

They mislabeled pizzas were detected by the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) which, during routine verification activities, found that the product contained soy despite the label not including the ingredient.

According to the USDA: ‘There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.’

While there were no reported illnesses or allergic reactions tied to the pizzas, the mislabeling can erode public trust.

And while recalls indicate the food safety system is working, they come well after many of the recalled products have been purchased. What’s more, many people may not hear about the recall, unless they’re glued to the news or the FDA’s or USDA’s news releases.

Over 300 food recalls were issued in 2023, and almost half were caused by undisclosed allergens on packaging, such as nuts, sesame, and wheat.

These are the highest levels the U.S. has recorded since the beginning of the pandemic. Contaminated or mislabeled food resulted in six deaths and more than 1,100 illnesses that year.