The Food and Drug Administration on June 10 upgraded an Aldi macaroni and cheese recall to Class II, saying more than 525,000 packages of Park St. Deli Macaroni & Cheese may contain undeclared soy lecithin. The recalled refrigerated pasta dish was sold in 20-ounce plastic tubs and was distributed nationwide.
BEF Foods Inc. began the voluntary recall in March, but the FDA’s classification gave the case a sharper public warning. A Class II recall covers situations in which exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible health consequences, or where the chance of serious harm is considered remote.
The recall totals 58,405 cases, or 525,645 individual packages, and it directly affects shoppers who bought the product at Aldi, especially people with soy allergies. The FDA said consumers should not eat the macaroni and cheese and should discard it or return it to Aldi for a refund.
The product’s undeclared ingredient is soy lecithin, an additive used in the food industry to combine foods, which is where the warning gets complicated. Lecithin is not always treated the same way by allergy experts, and some allergists do not advise soy-allergic patients to avoid it, but the FDA still flagged the risk here because the label did not disclose it.
One detail still missing is the precise package code or lot information for the affected tubs. The recall was initiated voluntarily, and the FDA data page said the packages were already in stores nationwide by June 10, leaving shoppers with a simple next step: check what they bought and do not serve it if it matches the recalled product.
