A Popular Coffee Product Has Been Recalled in 13 States

You look forward to that time of year when your holiday flavored coffee creamers appear in the supermarket’s chilled case to add spice and cheer to your morning brew. However, if you’re an International Delight winter flavor fan, there’s an important heads-up you need on a packaging error that could be dangerous for diabetics or anyone else who needs to monitor their sugar intake.

On Monday, October 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated a safety alert on a popular coffee creamer that’s been discovered to contain sugar despite being labeled as containing none. The recall affects 1,799 cases—that’s 10,794 bottles—of Home Alone International Delight-branded Zero Sugar Peppermint Mocha, produced by DANONE US LLC—one of the nation’s top-five dairy manufacturers.

According to the FDA’s updated report, the mislabeled products were distributed in 13 states: Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Designed to be refrigerated, the creamer was sold in 32-ounce plastic bottles in bulk quantities of six bottles per case. The expiration dates on the affected products are listed as February 25, 2025.

Though the recall was initially issued on October 12, the updated report from the FDA has now categorized the incident as a Class II recall—one that could cause temporary or reversible adverse health effects, but is unlikely to result in death. However, diabetics and other individuals who limit their sugar intake for medical reasons could suffer potentially serious consequences from consuming the sweetened creamer.

Perhaps this is an opportune reminder that it’s also wise to be vigilant about the ingredients in your coffee creamer, even if you have no known health conditions. Cleveland Clinic internal medicine doctor, Roxanne B. Sukol, MD, MS, has noted that compared to milk or unflavored cream, many coffee creamer products contain “more corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and fake flavoring, like Irish creme or French vanilla” that are associated “with diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, and strokes.”

If you note any potential adverse reaction to the coffee creamer, contact your doctor immediately. Do not use, sell, or distribute the mislabeled product.

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