Bimbo Bakeries FDA Warning: What We Know

Bimbo Bakeries, one of the most popular bakery manufacturers in America, has been issued a warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

NPR is reporting that the company — whose brands include Sara Lee, Oroweat, Thomas’, Entenmann’s and Ball Park buns and rolls — received a warning from the federal agency after it placed labels warning of listed ingredients such as sesame or tree nuts when such potential allergens weren’t included in the foods.

This practice is called “misbranding,” and it merited a letter from the FDA.

Let’s take a look at what this means for Bimbo Bakeries.

Bimbo Bakeries: A Warning

The FDA warning letter to Bimbo Bakeries was issued directly to Tony Gavin, the President of BBU, and was very specific about the company’s shortcomings.

Specifically, the FDA had concerns about the bakery’s Sara Lee brand Artesano Brioche, Delightful Multigrain, Artesano Golden Wheat, and Artesano Smooth Multigrain ready-to-eat (RTE) bread loaf products being misbranded with including sesame, and Brownberry brand Whole Grains 12 Grains and Seeds product being misnamed.

“Separate from the food allergen labeling requirements of the Act, firms may voluntarily place other information or statements on the labels of food products to disclose information about allergens to consumers,” the letter reads, in part. “For example, firms may choose to voluntarily place allergen advisory statements on products to alert consumers to the possible presence of major food allergens due to cross-contact. Any allergen advisory statement must be truthful and not misleading.”

The FDA further advised Bimbo bakeries that it needed to comply with the letter’s demands within fifteen (15) days, and that failure to do so would result in “legal action including, without limitation, seizure and injunction.”

The FDA issued a similar warning to Dollar Tree over its lead-contaminated applesauce. The letter alleged that the product was not withdrawn by the corporation quickly enough.

The business voluntarily recalled the WanaBana cinnamon apple brand in November 2023 upon learning that the items were chromium and lead tainted. But following the voluntary recall, public health officials “across many states” saw, according to the letter, that retailers were still selling the tainted products.

Pushback from Advocates

The FDA’s warning letter to Bimbo bakeries was met with approval from advocates from the nonprofit group FARE, Food Allergy Research & Education, who told NPR that the mislabeling does a “disservice” to the 33 million American customers who have some form of food allergy.

“Our community relies on accurate product labeling for their health and safety,” said Sung Poblete, FARE’s chief executive, in an email to the outlet. “These findings about Bimbo Bakeries’ products undermine their trust and further limit their choices.”

The food conglomerate Bimbo, with its headquarters in Mexico City, describes its American business as the biggest commercial baker in the nation. Business representatives stated in an email that they “take their role in protecting consumers with allergen sensitivities very seriously” and that they are in contact with the FDA to find a solution.

A regulation that went into effect in 2022 and added sesame to the list of serious allergies that need to be declared on packaging sparked concerns about labels at Bimbo and other companies.

Bimbo further claimed that the listing of the allergens was done as a “precaution” to customers with food allergens.

Some companies started including small amounts of sesame into products that didn’t previously contain the ingredient to reduce liability and costs because it can be challenging and costly to maintain the ingredient separate in one area of a baking facility from another. FDA representatives stated that was against the letter but not the spirit of government regulations.

Bimbo must provide justification for why the warning doesn’t breach FDA regulations if it doesn’t abide by the FDA’s recommendations in the letter by July 8th.