Chocolatier Australia Recalls Caramel Products Due to Labeling Mistake

Chocolatier Australia Caramel Chocolate Food Standards Australia New Zealand American Dental Association Nuts Allergy Plum Puddings recall

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Nov 11, 09:07 am

One of the most popular Christmas desserts had been recently recalled over a packaging mix-up that could put individuals allergic to nuts at risk. Chocolatier Australia placed a recall notice on its six-pack of Plum Puddings because they had been mislabelled as Christmas Caramels.

7 News reported the labeling mistake could pose a potential allergy risk as the puddings include an ingredient, tree nuts (almonds), which are not indicated in the Christmas Caramel packaging and could harm anyone, especially those with allergies.

Moreover, the 2.7 percent alcohol content found in the pudding could also pose a risk, particularly to those who experience adverse impacts from alcohol. According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the product has been available for sale at several independent stores nationally. These products will have the best-before dates of July 2023 and October 2023.

Consumers have been advised not to eat them, especially those who have the product, and immediately return it to the place they bought it from for a full refund.

It can damage one's oral health

The amount of sugar in caramel is the main drawback in eating such food. All of the sugar in caramel is actually in the form of added sugar. Thus, one piece of caramel candy contains approximately 6.6 grams of added sugar, around 1 1/2 teaspoons. Therefore, if you eat a whole package of caramel, roughly equal to seven pieces, you would consume 46.5 grams of sugar, more than ten teaspoons.

According to Mayo Clinic, the 2-tablespoon drizzle of caramel ice cream topping can contain approximately 27 grams of sugar, nearly seven teaspoons. Further, daily consumption of too much sugar can cause triglyceride levels to increase. Triglycerides are a type of fat that floats through one's bloodstream, and when there are lots in your body, it can raise the risk of heart disease. Harvard Medical School stated that 200 milligrams per deciliter of triglycerides are ideal. On the other hand, caramel chocolates and candies contain small amounts of saturated fat that can increase one's triglycerides and increase the risk of heart disease.

According to the American Dental Association, sugar coats the teeth, gradually encouraging bacteria to grow. Such bacteria cause acids to flourish; thus, the acids target the teeth and can eventually cause tooth decay. Caramel candies, including chocolates, are harder to whisk off one's teeth, specifically when you get a drink or from the saliva in the mouth. Healthy Eating reported that bacteria and acids grow, increasing your teeth' risk.

Chocolate allergy and allergic reactions

Around 50 percent of young ones allergic to one tree nut are also allergic to another. Approximately two-thirds of patients reactive to cashew or walnut might also react to pistachios or pecan. Unfortunately, most kids with nut allergies do not outgrow their tree nut allergy.

In the United States, plain language on packaged foods is required for 18 different tree nuts. Such tree nuts are not similar to peanuts (only 40 percent of kids with tree nut allergies have an allergy to peanuts), which grow underground and are a legume associated with beans and peas.

When a person with an allergy to a particular tree nut is exposed to that tree nut, proteins found in the nut bind to distinct IgE antibodies made by the person's immune system. Such binding can trigger one's person's immune defenses, which can soon lead to reaction symptoms that can either be mild or severe, per Food Allergy.