Van's gluten-free waffles recalled over potential undeclared allergen

Van’s International Foods issued a recall for certain packages of its gluten-free waffles following concerns that they contain a common allergen. 

A "limited number" of Van’s Gluten Free Original Waffles may contain undeclared wheat, according to a recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recalled products put people who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat at risk for a "serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," according to a recall notice. 

To underscore the importance of the notice, the FDA also posted on Twitter that this was an "urgent food recall." 

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Van's noted that "the recalled products with lot code #UW40193L "should not be consumed." However, no other Van's product is included in the recall, the company added. 

No allergic reactions or illnesses have been associated with the recalled products yet, the notice said. Still, the "recall has been initiated in an abundance of caution due to potential presence of wheat in certain products labeled as gluten-free." 

The recall was issued after officials discovered that wheat-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not say there was a presence of wheat. 

The problem was caused "by the inclusion of a limited number of cartons for Van’s Gluten Free Original Waffles with a pallet of cartons intended for wheat containing products." 

The company noted, though, that "immediate steps were taken to prevent recurrence." 

The packages were shipped to stores and distribution centers in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina and Washington, according to the notice. 

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According to the CDC, wheat is one of eight foods or food groups that account for the "most serious allergic reactions in the United States." 

Symptoms and the severity of allergic reactions can be "different between individuals and can also be different for one person over time," the CDC said. 

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However, those with celiac disease might need to be cautious. It is a "serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine," according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. 

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barely, the foundation said.