Officials are raising alarm bells for an "adulterated product" that could be harmful to certain consumers—including the ones it's made for.
A Popular Frozen Food Brand Was Just Recalled in 15 States for Contamination
Published on Apr. 08, 2025
Editor’s note: On Thursday, April 9, a spokesperson for Dr. Praeger’s contacted our editorial team with a statement on what caused the inclusion of the undeclared ingredient and their commitment to consumer safety.
It’s not always easy to get little ones—or big ones—to eat their veggies, and many brands know a sense of play is the way to a picky stomach.
Dr. Praeger’s is a mainstream frozen foods brand that’s been making kid-friendly foods, like dino-shaped broccoli bites, for more than 30 years. Last week, we noticed Publix had listed a recall for a Dr. Praeger’s product, but then we noted it had quickly been removed. A recall on a recall doesn’t happen often, but sometimes it does, and we thought maybe the announcement had been published in error.
But this Tuesday morning, it was clearly back on. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has posted a recall on 8,665 cases of Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Fries in eight-ounce boxes. It’s not clear from the announcement how many eight-ounce units are within each case.
The reason for the recall is said to be the presence of soy, which is one of the major food allergens. Because a “veggie fry” product is marketed to entice kids to snack on it, it’s important to note that multiple expert sources say 0.4% of children have a soy allergy. “It is more common in babies and young children than it is in older children, teenagers, and adults,” says a division of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Research in 2010 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology noted that “soy allergy [is] about half as common as peanut allergy.”
The identifying UPC and lot number for the recalled Dr. Praeger’s products are 80868-1931404 and I24BI-01A respectively. The recalling firm is listed as New Jersey-based “Dr. Praeger’s Senible Foods Inc.” Says the FDA, “The adulterated product was distributed to the following states”: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Canada, Indiana, Colordado, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Georgia, New Jersey and Florida.
Dr. Praeger’s says their Veggie Fries “are made with 10 vegetables.” A similar Dr. Praeger’s product is said to be equivalent in serving size to one serving size of vegetables.
On Monday, April 7, FDA has classified this as a Class II recall, their second-highest risk level indicating “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.”
Editor’s note: On Thursday, April 9, a spokesperson for Dr. Praeger’s contacted our team with the following statement:
“At Dr. Praeger’s, the health and safety of our consumers is always our top priority. We recently issued a voluntary recall of one specific lot of our Veggie Fries due to a packaging error that may result in the presence of soy, an undeclared allergen.
This isolated incident was caused by a labeling mix-up during production, in which a small number of Cauliflower Broccoli Veggie Fries boxes may have been packed with our California Veggie Fries, which contain different ingredients, including soy. We discovered this mix-up after we received comments from a consumer. While fewer than 50 mislabeled packages are estimated to be in the market, we’ve taken swift action out of an abundance of caution—particularly for those with soy allergies.
To date, there have been no reported illnesses or allergic reactions. We take our responsibility seriously and are working closely with the FDA and our retail partners to ensure this issue is fully resolved and does not happen again.
While the product remains safe for anyone without a soy allergy, we know how important accurate labeling is to our consumers, and we remain committed to delivering the highest quality, trustworthy products.”
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