Why a Kansas food safety inspection in Topeka led to FDA warning letter to Bimbo Bakeries
Violations of food safety law at the Bimbo Bakeries facility in Topeka that were uncovered during an inspection last fall have led to a federal warning letter.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told Bimbo Bakeries in a June 17 warning letter that inspections in Kansas and Arizona revealed that labels on loaves of bread were "false and misleading" because they included ingredients — including allergens — that are not supposed to be in the product.
"FDA expects food manufacturers to follow good manufacturing practices and implement preventive controls to prevent the unintentional incorporation of allergens into foods which are not formulated to contain them," the FDA said in the warning letter. "Labeling is not a substitute for adherence to good manufacturing practices or implementation of preventive controls."
The FDA alleged "serious violations" of federal statutes and regulations and asked for a written response by early July detailing the steps Bimbo Bakeries takes to address the violations, or to explain why it does not believe it violated the law.
"Bimbo Bakeries USA takes our role in protecting consumers with allergen sensitivities very seriously, through good manufacturing practices in our facilities and informative labeling on our packages," the company said in a statement through its public relations firm. "We are corresponding with the FDA to resolve this matter."
Bimbo Bakeries USA is a subsidiary of Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo.
The violation was previously made public by food safety and lodging inspectors at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The KDA between Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 conducted a food processing inspection of the Bimbo Bakeries facility at 5005 S.W. Wenger St. in Topeka at the same time as an FDA contract inspection.
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Kansas inspectors wrote in the report that the label for one bread — Brownberry Whole Grains 12 Grains — had an ingredient list and allergen declaration that said the product contains almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. However, inspectors found that none of those nuts are actually ingredients in the bread.
"The ingredients list and allergen declaration should include only the intended ingredients added for the production of this product," the inspection report said.
The inspectors also noted that ascorbic acid and citric acid were among the ingredients but were not listed on the label. Inspectors noted that the facility had been told during a previous inspection on Jan. 13, 2022, "The ingredient list must reflect the ingredients that are used in the manufacturing of the product."
The report from that 2022 inspection found that the label for Sara Lee Honey Wheat bread said vinegar is an ingredient when it actually was not. The person in charged called corporate and asked the inspector to explain the labeling issue, and the inspector reported that the corporate office said it would address the issue immediately.
The FDA warning letter said similar issues were found at a facility in Phoenix. The letter said multiple Sara Lee bread products had labels that said they include sesame seeds, even though sesame seed is not an ingredient in the product formulation. The letter also noted the nut issue with the Brownberry bread.
The FDA noted that, separate from food allergen labeling requirements, "firms may choose to voluntarily place allergen advisory statements on products to alert consumers to the possible presence of major food allergens due to cross-contact. Any allergen advisory statement must be truthful and not misleading."
More: Former Topeka employee claims Mexican-owned Bimbo Bakeries discriminates against Hispanics
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: FDA warns Bimbo Bakeries for ingredient label on bread made in Kansas
