Hanover Foods Corporation – FDA Warning Letter, May 4, 2021

The FDA issued a Warning Letter to Mr. Warehime regarding misbranded food products manufactured by his subsidiaries, Spring Glen Fresh Foods and Bickel’s Snack Foods Inc. The letter, dated March 26, 2021, states that Baked Rice Pudding and Cheddar Flavored Popcorn were misbranded under section 403(w) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) [21 U.S.C. § 343(w)] because their labels failed to declare major food allergens.

On October 9, 2020, Spring Glen Fresh Foods recalled Baked Rice Pudding due to incorrect labeling that omitted milk and egg allergens. The firm attributed this to a label printing software malfunction and subsequently deleted a duplicate database, updated allergen labeling procedures, and implemented a daily label verification process by the Quality Assurance department.

On January 25, 2021, Bickel’s Snack Foods Inc. recalled Cheddar Flavored Popcorn, which was incorrectly labeled as Butter Flavored Popcorn, failing to declare milk. The firm stated this was due to inadvertent mislabeling and plans to reassess their HACCP Plan to include label review/allergen checks as a Critical Control Point (CCP).

The FDA will verify the implementation of these corrective actions during future inspections. The letter emphasizes that these violations are not exhaustive and the firm is responsible for ensuring compliance with all federal laws,