The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated its risk level of the recently recalled instant noodle products manufactured by Sun Noodle. Now, the FDA has reported that this recall is now designated as a Class I recall.
Class I is the highest risk level the FDA can give a recall. It’s the most serious classification.
May’s Noodle Recall
This FDA update comes after Sun Noodle, a food manufacturer located in Hawaii, voluntarily recalled many of its instant noodle products back in May. The products were recalled because of an undeclared presence of eggs.
Egg is one of the major allergens. Food items must be properly designated and labeled if they contain egg. The Sun Noodle products being recalled are the company’s S&S Cup Saimin—Noodles With Soup & Garnishes.
One of the Nine Major Allergens
People allergic to eggs can have anywhere from small to severe reactions if they accidentally ingest eggs. For this reason, the FDA requires food items to be labeled if they contain this major allergen, or one of the other common allergens.
According to the FDA, the nine major allergens are egg, milk, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, fish, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish, and sesame.
2% of Children Have Severe Egg Allergies
Only a very small 2% of children have a severe egg allergy. While this percentage is small, it doesn’t diminish the danger it poses to those children who do have it.
The actual physical number of this percentage is hundreds of thousands. Consuming just a small amount of egg could result in a visit to the emergency room or possibly even death.
Why These Noodles Were Recalled
These Sun Noodle products were first recalled back in May. It appears the company became aware that the food items had eggs in them, and this wasn’t properly labeled on the packaging.
The company has since clarified that the “egg white powder ingredient is limited to the Fish Cake within this (frozen) soup and noodle cup, and this product has very limited distribution.”
Pre-Packaged Crab Cakes Removed From Shelves
Sun Noodle isn’t the only company having issues with fish cakes. Country Road Seafood recently had to remove its crab cakes from the shelves because the egg was not disclosed in the ingredient list.
During this time, the company discovered that eggs had been left off the ingredient list for around two years, which could have been catastrophic for many.
An FDA Update
Now, the FDA has fully updated its risk level of these noodles — and the agency has risen the level all the way up to its most severe classification.
This recall is now deemed a Class I recall, which is only issued if there is a “reasonable probability” that eating this product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
Other Classifications
There are two other classifications the FDA can give a recall. A Class II recall can occur in “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
Meanwhile, a Class III classification can be put on recall if the item is unlikely to cause any health consequences.
Two Final FDA Recall Levels
There are two other recall levels set by the FDA that aren’t often referred to. The first is market withdrawal, which is where a product could lead to FDA legal action.
Then there is a medical device safety alert, which is where a medical device could cause substantial harm if used.
Why the FDA Updated This Recall
After Sun Noodle voluntarily recalled its products in May, the FDA did not release any indication that they would update its risk level. Before this most recent update, this recall did not have any classification level.
However, the FDA may have chosen to update this recall to Class I because of the potentially severe symptoms and allergic reactions consumers could have if they are allergic to egg and then eat this product.
Food Allergy Reactions
Food allergy reactions vary. Some common symptoms include rashes, hives, swelling, diarrhea, and vomiting.
However, more serious reactions can also occur in those who have more severe allergies. These potentially life-threatening reactions can include swelling of the throat, loss of consciousness, and difficulty breathing.
Products Affected
The Sun Noodle products affected by this May recall—and subsequent Class I update—were mainly distributed to four states: California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
These noodle items were sold both last year and this year. They have lot codes 1623129 — 1623365, as well as 1624001 — 1624129.
Noodle Products Hadn’t Been Widely Distributed
The good news is that as the noodles had only been distributed to four states out of fifty, they hadn’t been widely distributed enough for there to be a significant problem.
However, anyone who has brought any Sun Noodle products recently, even if they aren’t in any of the states listed, is being asked to check the backs of the products just in case they have one of the dodgy batches.
Returning Recalled Products
When Sun Noodle first voluntarily recalled these products last month, they told their customers to return these items to the place they bought them to receive a full refund.
The manufacturer also released a news release, stating, “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or concern this may cause and assure our customers that we are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and quality of our products.”
Recent Recalls
This latest FDA update comes after many food recalls have been seen in the United States. However, many of these recalls had to do with bacteria contamination.
For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA recently announced that they believe cucumbers are responsible for a recent salmonella outbreak seen in many states in the country.
Cucumbers Are a Class I Risk Level
Cucumbers have since also been updated to a Class I risk level, as salmonella is likely to cause serious health consequences to people, with there also being some possibility of death.
This was only noticed when the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture discovered the salmonella bacteria in cucumbers, which is one of the leading causes of food poisoning in the US.
Not All Cucumbers Are Affected
Not all cucumbers have been affected by the salmonella outbreak, with mini cucumbers and English cucumbers not affected.
However, the cucumbers that have been affected are dark green in color, are 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, and 5 to 9 inches in length. It is believed that the only states affected are Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
The FDA’s Update on Potatoes
The FDA also recently updated its risk level on recalled potato products being sold in the U.S. The agency updated its risk to Class II.
More than 10,000 potato products are impacted by this latest recall and classification update.
The FDA Has Recalled Coffee
Another recently recalled product by the FDA is coffee. These products were sold on Amazon and produced by Waco Bottling LLC.
The risk level has been set to Class III, and this was done because the company realized the bottles didn’t have any ingredient levels, statements, or nutrition labels that people rely on to know whether the product is okay to consume.
FDA Recalls Baby Products With Potentially Fatal Bacteria
One of the more dangerous products that the FDA has had to recall recently is baby products. Some of the issues with these products included the manufacturing process, issues with labeling, and concerns over the nutritional value of the products.
One of the major concerns with these baby products is the bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii, which can cause fatal infections for young babies and has led to four recalls so far in 2024.
FDA’s Most Prominent Product Recall
One of the more prominent product recalls by the FDA in the last year was when they looked into the PRIME drinks that were created by YouTuber Logan Paul because they had six times the amount of caffeine as a diet Coke.
The main concern was that these drinks were aimed at young children, and parents were buying these products without looking into how much harm they were causing (or likely to cause) first, just because their children wanted them so badly.
No Reports of Consumers Falling Sick
One good thing about all of this is that there are currently no known reports of anyone falling sick from consuming the Sun Noodle recalled products.
Anyone who consumed them before the recall may not have been allergic to eggs, so they didn’t fall sick. Hopefully, those who are allergic to eggs didn’t consume the noodles before the recall.
Not All Sun Noodle Products Are Affected
It is important to note that if you have any Sun Noodle products in your cupboards, they’re not all necessarily going to be affected by these recalls, but if you are concerned, you can still take the products back to where you brought them or dispose of them in other ways.
This is why it is always important to check a product’s ingredients list before purchasing it, especially if you have allergies, to keep you and your family out of harm’s way.
The Food Industry Needs Stricter Regulations When Labeling Products
The various food products recently recalled by the FDA remain a strong reminder to the food industry that there needs to be stricter regulations when labeling products.
The results of incorrectly labeling products have the potential to be catastrophic to individuals and their families, so more steps should be taken in the production process to help ensure the correct labeling of products and keep consumers out of harm’s way.
