A vegan protein puff with milk in it, and somebody already reacted

By Symon, Every Label · September 7, 2026

Coverage this cycle: Canada (CFIA), UK (FSA), US (FDA openFDA; the FDA recalls RSS source was down for this cycle, and a later re-run found one US recall in the window, now carried in the August 31 roundup). US meat and poultry (FSIS, nothing confirmable this cycle). EU (RASFF) is not covered.

Check this one first: the vegan protein puff

Smarter Snacks Vegan Protein Puff, Chili & Lime Flavored, is recalled across Canada for undeclared milk. 50 g bags, UPC 8 684041 306837, lot SS223 with a best before of 11/08/2026 and lot SS110 with a best before of 20/04/2027. Sold nationally and online, recalled by Empire Health Distribution Inc.

Someone has already had a reaction to it. The CFIA opened the file because a consumer complained, which is the sequence you do not want: the label was wrong, a person ate it, the person reacted, and the complaint is what started the investigation.

The CFIA issued this as a Food recall warning at Class 1. That is its top severity and its public-facing tier, the one it pushes out rather than filing quietly.

The word on the front of the bag is not an allergen statement

This is the third plant-based product recalled for undeclared dairy in four weeks.

On August 8 the CFIA recalled PC Organics and Frankie’s Organic plant-based cheddar corn puffs and crunchies at Class 1 for undeclared milk. Two reactions were reported. On August 11 the US notice for Frankie’s Organic Plant-Based Vegan Cheddar Puffs followed, and the root cause traced to a seasoning at the supplier level. Now a vegan protein puff.

Three notices, three products built to be dairy-free, dairy in all three. “Vegan” and “plant-based” describe what a recipe is meant to be. They are not the “Contains” line, they are not audited the way the allergen declaration is, and in all three of these the dairy arrived from somewhere upstream of the brand’s own intent.

For a household reading front-of-pack in a hurry, a vegan snack is exactly the product that gets waved through.

The rest, by country

Canada. Ten Ten Dim Sum buns and dumplings, undeclared milk, Class 3, Ontario only. Sixteen SKUs: the 520 g buns (Vegetable & Pork, B.B.Q. Pork, Leeks & Pork, Preserved Vegetable & Pork, Pork) with best before dates from August 19 to September 2, 2026, and the 800 g dumplings with best before dates from August 3 to August 17, 2027. The dumpling dates run a year out, so those are freezer stock.

Cucina d’Oro Pesto, improperly declared cashew, Class 3, in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Two 212 ml jars: UPC 8 51119 10030 9 with code B.LM 356 and expiry 01/03/2027, and UPC 8 51119 00129 3 with lot K085 and expiry 03/26/2029. Recalled by Vera Trima Import Export Inc. Pesto is usually the pine nut question, and this one is cashew.

United Kingdom. Waitrose Rhubarb Crumble, undeclared oats and therefore undeclared gluten, 500 g, use by 19 August 2026. The FSA writes the risk to cover oat allergy, gluten intolerance and coeliac disease. Waitrose has put up point-of-sale notices and contacted the allergy support organisations.

Tesco Finest Caesar & Smoked Bacon Coleslaw, undeclared mustard, 270 g, use by 4 September 2026. Caesar dressing is an ordinary place for mustard to be, and it was not on the label.

One note on coverage

The automated sweep that covers US FDA press releases was returning an authorization error for the whole of this cycle, on the first run and on the retry, so this week’s US picture came only from the slower FDA enforcement database, which trails press releases by one to three weeks. The press-release sweep was re-run once it came back up, and it did find one US recall inside this window, Crystal Temptations Chocolatey Eyeballs for undeclared milk. It is written up in the August 31 roundup, where its notice date puts it.

Canada, the UK and the FDA enforcement database ran clean. No US meat or poultry recall could be confirmed against its primary notice this cycle.

Before you go

Each recall above links to its primary agency notice, with product photos and lot numbers. I go through the federal and provincial recall feeds every week and post what an allergy household would actually want flagged.

Not medical advice. Every reaction is different, so follow the emergency action plan you built with your allergist; if you do not have one, that is the ask for your next visit. When a reaction is severe or you are not sure how bad it is, do not delay epinephrine, then call for help.