Karmactive Staff
Hartford Bakery has pulled 883 loaves of Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style half-loaf bread from store shelves after customers found hazelnuts inside packages that didn’t warn about them. The recall affects bread sold at major retailers like Walmart and Kroger across 12 states.
The Food and Drug Administration announced the voluntary recall on July 10, 2025, after the company discovered a serious packaging mistake. Workers accidentally put hazelnut-containing bread into packages labeled for plain white bread during a production changeover.
This mix-up created a dangerous situation for people with hazelnut allergies. The bread packaging only said “May Contain Tree Nuts” but failed to specifically mention hazelnuts. For someone with a hazelnut allergy, this difference could mean life or death.
The recalled bread comes in 12-ounce flexible plastic bags with specific lot codes: T10 174010206, T10 174010306, T10 174010406, T10 174020206, T10 174020306, and T10 174020406. These numbers appear on the front of the package along with an expiration date of July 13, 2025. The UPC code 24126018152 is printed on the bottom.
Customers first noticed something wrong when they saw actual hazelnuts in their bread. Several people called the company to complain about finding nuts before eating the bread. One person did eat some and experienced stomach problems afterward.
The affected bread was distributed to stores in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Mississippi. Hartford Bakery confirmed that no other production lots were involved in this mistake.
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Food allergies affect millions of Americans, and hazelnut allergies are among the most common tree nut allergies. For someone with a severe allergy, eating even a small amount of hazelnuts can trigger anaphylaxis, a reaction that can close airways and drop blood pressure dangerously low.
Undeclared allergens cause more food recalls than any other safety issue in the United States. They account for over 40 percent of all food recalls annually. The problem often happens during production line changes when different products share the same equipment, similar to recent mislabeling incidents with other food products.
Hartford Bakery moved quickly to remove all affected products from store shelves. The company is working with the FDA to make sure customers know about the recall. Anyone who bought this bread should check their packages immediately.
People who have the recalled bread should not eat it, especially if they have any nut allergies. They can return the bread to where they bought it for a full refund. The bread can also be thrown away safely by double-bagging it before putting it in the trash. This type of undeclared allergen issue has affected various food products recently, including peanuts and other snack foods.
The company has set up a phone line for questions at 812-425-4642, available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central Time, except holidays.
This recall shows how important it is for food companies to have strong quality control systems. Even small mistakes in labeling can put people’s lives at risk. The quick response by Hartford Bakery and the FDA helped prevent what could have been much more serious health problems for people with hazelnut allergies. Similar chocolate and bakery recalls have highlighted the ongoing challenges in allergen management across the food industry.
