The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued its highest-risk warning for a hot pot sauce that was recalled earlier this month. The sauce, which was imported from China and sold in California, has been recalled due to undeclared allergens that could be life-threatening.
Newsweek contacted Liaoning Cheng Da USA via phone for comment outside of regular business hours.
Why It Matters
The FDA categorizes recalls from Class I to Class III. Class I recalls are defined as “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.”
What To Know
Liaoning Cheng Da USA Inc., based in San Gabriel, California, voluntarily recalled its Wangzhihe Hot Pot Sauce on March 4, 2025, after discovering that it may contain undeclared peanut, soy, sesame, and wheat allergens.
The affected products are sold under the brand name “Wangzhihe” and are packaged in plastic containers weighing 160 grams (5.64 ounces), with regular and spicy varieties available. The recall includes 3,650 cases, each containing 36 units.
The affected lot numbers are: 2023/12/20, 2024/1/31, 2024/4/15, and 2024/10/18, which are printed on the back of each package. The UPC codes are 6907592001375 and 6907592001382.
The recalled sauce was sold at several California retail locations, including 99 Ranch Market, Hawaii Supermarket, and Great Wall Supermarket.
The best-before date for the affected products is July 2, 2026. According to the FDA, the products were delivered to five direct account consignees in the state, and as of March 11, no illnesses had been reported.
What People Are Saying
In a phone interview with Newsweek, Dr. Sebastian Linghvani, director of New York Allergy & Asthma PLLC, stated, “The difference between someone who is allergic and someone who is not, at its core, is that an allergic individual can come across something as innocuous as a small amount of the food, egg, peanut, milk, and ingest it.
“And while a normal person will simply digest and process that, an allergic person will perceive this as a foreign threat. And this triggers the allergic response, which is initially associated with the activation of what we believe to be IgE antibodies that recognize that specific piece of food, whether it is protein or egg protein. And that causes these cells, known as mast cells, to release all of these inflammatory mediators, such as histamine, as well as other types of mediators, such as nutrients, which can have far-reaching consequences.
“And these reactions can start quickly and escalate. So you can go from 0 to 60 in a very short amount of time.” The recall is currently ongoing. Consumers who have purchased the product can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.