Lactaid Milk Recalled In 27 States — Here's What To Know
Food recalls have, unfortunately, become part of modern life in our global industrialized food system. The latest recall involves one of the major players in the multi-billion-dollar lactose-free dairy business: HP Hood, which owns Lactaid. In a September 20, 2024, announcement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, the company stated it was voluntarily recalling five different varieties of its 96-ounce containers for a potential allergen contagion of trace amounts of almonds in the refrigerated milk. Almonds aren't listed as an ingredient on the products' labels. Hood shipped the affected products to 27 U.S. states between September 5 and September 18, 2024.
"People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds may run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," the same FDA announcement reads. Unlike some of the biggest food recalls in history or even the 2024 allergen-related popsicle recall, no customers have experienced any illness related to Lactaid products, per the FDA website.
What Lactaid products are part of the recall?
Hood discovered the potential almond contagion during "routine maintenance programs," per its FDA announcement. The specific Lactaid products involved in the recall all have the code 51-4109 P2 on the label. The varieties with potential trace amounts of almonds include the 96-ounce versions of Lactaid Whole Milk, 2% Milk, 1% Milk, Fat-Free Milk, and 2% Calcium-Enriched Milk all in plastic containers with specific best-buy dates, which can be found on the FDA website.
The states where the products ended up include Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Consumers can return the affected products to the store where they purchased it for a refund or exchange — it's important to properly dispose of the recalled product. For more information go to the FDA website or call Hood Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-2423 (Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET).