Quaker Oats’ recall on product elevated to highest FDA level due to risk of ‘death’
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has elevated The Quaker Oats Company's recall of a pancake mix to the highest risk level.
In its latest weekly update, the FDA shared an update about a limited number of Pearl Milling Company Original Pancake & Waffle Mix boxes, which were first recalled in January because they may have contained undeclared milk.
According to a press release shared last month, the pancake mix was first available for purchase on November 18, 2024, and it was sold at retailers in 11 different states.
This recall has now received a Class I classification, meaning it’s “a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death,” according to the FDA.
The Original Pancake and Waffle Mix in the recall was sold in two-pound cardboard boxes. Its UPC code is 30000 65040, and its best-by date is Sept. 13, 2025.
The mix, formerly sold as Aunt Jemima pancake mix, was sent to stores in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin.
In its initial press release, the FDA noted that consumers with “an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume” pancake mix. However, there haven’t been any allergic reactions linked to the recalled product.
A handful of recalls have been recently classified as Class I. Earlier this month, five products from a Cal Yee Farm’s recall — Yogurt Coated Almonds, Dark Chocolate Apricots, Dark Chocolate Raisins, Tropical Trail Mix, and Dark Chocolate Walnuts — were given a Class 1 classification for containing undeclared milk.
The New Orleans Hot Mix and Hot Cajun Sesame Sticks were also considered a Class 1 recall, due to undeclared wheat and soybean oil.
Last month, Bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chip received an elevated recall status, making it a Class 1. The FDA first announced in December that Frito-Lay issued a recall on a “limited number” of the 13 oz bags of chips because they “may contain undeclared milk.”
There’s been a range of other nationwide food recalls throughout 2025. Earlier this month, 2,0176,614 cases of different baked goods from FGF, LLC were recalled due to the “potential for contamination with listeria monocytogenes.”
Union Seafoods also recently announced a voluntary recall of select canned tuna products sold under the Genova, Van Camp's, H-E-B, and Trader Joe’s brands. These products were distributed nationwide at retailers such as Walmart, Trader Joe's, Costco, Kroger, and Publix.
According to the press release, Tri-Union Seafoods initiated the recall after its supplier discovered a manufacturing defect in the tuna cans’ “easy open” lids. The defect could “compromise the integrity of the product seal (especially over time), causing it to leak, or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum,” a bacteria that causes foodborne botulism and can be fatal.
