Praneel brand Plant Based Pedhas have been recalled because the sweets contain milk, New Zealand Food Safety says.
The recall notice, published on 12 November, says regular pedhas were "incorrectly labelled as 'Plant Based Pedhas'". Pedhas are traditionally made with milk, and the product inside the packs was the ordinary milk version.
All batches and all dates of the 250g packs are affected. People with a milk allergy or intolerance should not eat them.
Where were they sold?
According to the recall notice, the pedhas were imported from India and sold at five stores in Auckland:
- Arjun Supermarket, 5 Rankin Avenue, New Lynn
- Food For Less New Lynn, 13 Veronica Street, New Lynn
- Patidar Foods, 26 Carr Road, Three Kings
- Spice Supermarket, 537 Sandringham Road, Mount Roskill
- Top in Town Food City Sandringham, 583 Sandringham Road, Sandringham
The product came in a paper tray wrapped in clear plastic. New Zealand Food Safety says it was not sent overseas from New Zealand.
The recall was issued by the importer, Salient Enterprises Limited of Sunnyvale, Auckland.
Who needs to worry?
The recall is about allergy and intolerance, not contamination. New Zealand Food Safety says that if you are not allergic or intolerant to milk, "this recall does not affect you".
The risk is for people who chose these sweets because they were labelled plant based, for example someone with a milk allergy, a child with a dairy allergy, or a person who is lactose intolerant. Milk allergy can cause serious reactions in some people.
If someone in your household has a milk allergy or intolerance and has eaten the pedhas, New Zealand Food Safety advises seeking medical advice if you have any concerns about their health. For urgent symptoms such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 111.
Healthline (0800 611 116) is free and available 24 hours a day for health advice.
Can I get my money back?
Yes. Customers with a milk allergy or intolerance can return the pedhas to the store where they bought them for a full refund, the notice says.
Retailers that sold the product have to display a point-of-sale notice in store for a month, so you may see the recall poster at the counter.
If you have questions, the notice lists Salient Enterprises' email address as salient@live.com.
Is this a one-off?
Mislabelled "vegan" or "plant based" sweets have come up more than once in recent weeks. On 9 November, New World Motueka recalled made-in-store Vegan Afghan Biscuits because they were regular Afghan biscuits containing milk and walnuts, according to New Zealand Food Safety.
Other recent notices on New Zealand Food Safety's list have also been about undeclared allergens, including Woolworths in-store potato long rolls with undeclared soy (30 October) and a Back Country Cuisine dessert with undeclared gluten and wheat (27 October).
For people who rely on "plant based", "vegan" or "dairy free" claims for health reasons, a few habits help:
- Read the ingredients list, not just the front label. A product's name or claim can be wrong, as this recall shows. Check the ingredients and any allergen statement as well.
- Ask at the counter. For sweets sold in trays or loose, especially around festivals when shops are busy, ask the shop where the product came from and what is in it.
- Keep the packaging until the product is finished, so you can check batch details if a recall is announced.
- Sign up for recall alerts. New Zealand Food Safety sends food recall alerts by email. You can subscribe to all recalls or only those about allergens on the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
If you think a food is wrongly labelled or has made someone sick, you can make a complaint to New Zealand Food Safety through the MPI website.
Where can I check other recalls?
New Zealand Food Safety keeps the list of recalled food on the MPI website. Product Safety NZ lists recalls of toys, appliances and other goods. Our recent articles cover asbestos found in a Faber-Castell play sand kit and three product recalls including a baby monitoring sock.
