Wegmans Oat Cookies Are Being Recalled Due To Undeclared Wheat
Just 10 days into the new year, Wegmans has issued its first recall of 2024. According to the FDA, the company announced a voluntary recall of its Wegmans Bakery Outrageous Oat Cookies in both 5-packs and by the pound on January 10. The cookies may contain undeclared wheat, which can be serious or even life-threatening for those with wheat or gluten sensitivities or who have celiac disease.
The cookies were sold in Wegmans stores beginning January 3 throughout the states of Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, DC, and Virginia. The 5-packs have the Universal Product Code (UPC) 7789056618, while the pounds have the UPC 2-08165-00000-6. All use-by dates are also affected.
Wegmans states that no illnesses or injuries have been reported, but anyone with questions or concerns can contact Wegmans Food Markets at 1-855-934-3663. Customers who discover they've bought one of the recalled products can return it to any Wegmans service desk for a refund.
Wegmans has a decent track record in recalling food products, with the FDA showing that only 34 have been issued since September 2017. This is also the brand's first recall for undeclared wheat.
Wheat is one of the top food allergens
Anyone with food sensitivities or allergies knows that, whenever you choose to eat something someone else made, there could be ingredients that aren't listed or weren't mentioned. While some may argue that there are no known deaths directly caused by celiac disease, the symptoms associated with eating foods that contain gluten, like wheat, are not inconsequential. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that can cause bloating, abdominal pain, joint pain, and other symptoms if a person who has it accidentally consumes gluten (via Celiac Disease Foundation).
Wheat allergens' effects, on the other hand, can be just as life-threatening as any other allergy if they're severe enough and the person develops anaphylaxis from accidentally ingesting wheat. Even so, wheat allergies can cause hives, swelling, headaches, difficulty breathing, and other uncomfortable and scary symptoms (via Mayo Clinic).
Some fail to realize that wheat is one of the top food allergens in the U.S. because we hear so much more about celiac and gluten-free diets. What's more, wheat is prevalent in many more foods than people realize, and for someone with a wheat allergy, even inhaling wheat flour can be catastrophic, according to Cleveland Clinic. While antihistamines and corticosteroids like prednisone can often treat those with mild wheat allergies, epinephrine is usually recommended for those with more severe cases.