FDA recalls popsicles in 4 states due to 'life-threatening' risks

The FDA has issued an urgent recall for ice popsicles it says might contain a potentially deadly health hazard.

On May 27, the FDA warned that certain products may have been contaminated by more than one potentially life-threatening allergen.

The recall has come from De Dios' Ice Pops, a company based in the US state of New Jersey, and includes 16 flavors of popsicles produced by the business.

FDA inspectors found that 'existing manufacturing processes required improvements to prevent allergen cross-contact'.

This means the products could contain traces of ingredients which are not listed on the food label, meaning it could be dangerous to consume.

Among them are two food dyes, Yellow 5 and Red 40. The FDA has previously said Yellow No. 5 can cause itching and hives in rare cases of allergic reactions, and it requires all synthetic food dyes to be clearly listed on food labels.

Last year, the FDA announced it was working to phase out both Yellow 5 and Red 40 by the end of 2026. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said petroleum-based synthetic food dyes 'offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development'.

However, there are also potentially other undisclosed ingredients in the popsicles which could have a far more immediate health impact if consumed by some people.

One of the affected products (FDA)

These are pecans, pistachios, and milk, all of which are potential allergens which are not included on the label.

That creates a risk that someone with a severe allergy could consume the product believing it to be safe, and then have an allergic reaction which could potentially be life-threatening.

People who have purchased these products have been urged to check their freezers, and can return them to sellers where they will receive a full refund for them, or discard them.

The FDA clarified that products made after April 27 2026 are not subject to this recall as the manufacturer has since updated their practices.

So far, no cases of illness have been reported in connection with this recall.

Four states have had the recalled food stocked, they are Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and they were stocked on shelves until the end of April.

Another of the affected products (FDA)

Recalled popsicles were retailed in packages of 3.7oz, and the flavors being recalled are: coco, guayaba, tamarindo, fresa con leche, nanche, nuez, arroz con leche, mango, mamey, vanilla, rompope, pistachio, limon, cookies and cream, pina colada, and grosella.

De Dios has been reported as having 'immediately implemented corrected processes', and investigators didn't specify what the production errors were.

Allergies are no small things in the US, with approximately three million people in the country having an allergy to peanuts, 330,000 having a pistachio allergy, and 15 million allergic to cow's milk.

Severe allergic reactions can be fatal in extreme cases, leading to anaphylaxis, which causes the airways to close up making it difficult to breathe.