Muddypaws Cheesecake Co. – FDA Warning Letter, May 18, 2011

On August 16, 2011, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to Muddypaws Cheesecake Co. following an inspection on May 17-18, 2011, at their St. Louis Park, Minnesota facility. The inspection revealed significant deviations from food labeling regulations (21 CFR Part 101), causing their cheesecake products to be misbranded under section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act).

Key violations include: 1. **Failure to declare major food allergens:** Products like Raspberry Swirl, Caramel Swirl, Chocolate Decadence, and Chocolate Marble cheesecakes contain milk, egg, wheat, and soy (in Caramel Swirl), but these allergens were not declared on the labels as required by section 403(w) of the Act. 2. **Missing ingredient declarations:** Labels for products fabricated from multiple ingredients, such as the aforementioned cheesecakes, lacked a common or usual name for each ingredient, violating section 403(i)(2) of the Act and 21 CFR 101.4. 3. **Undeclared artificial flavors and chemical preservatives:** Cheesecake varieties containing artificial flavor (e.g., Raspberry Swirl, Caramel Swirl) and chemical preservatives (potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate in Caramel Swirl) failed to declare these ingredients, violating section 403(