Undeclared sesame in a foodservice spice blend — the newest addition to the U.S. list of major allergens (Adams Extract & Spice)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classified Adams Extract & Spice's foodservice "Smoked Sausage Spice" as Class I — its most serious category — for an undeclared sesame allergen. The quantity is 120 units, distributed within Texas. Sesame is the most recent food added to the U.S. list of major allergens.
Recall overview (primary data)
- ClassificationClass I (most serious)
- Product typeFood
- Recalling firmAdams Extract & Spice LLC
- ReasonUndeclared Sesame allergen
- DistributionTexas
- Recall initiated2026-05-07
Key points
- Recall number H-1138-2026; FDA Class I, the most serious category; status Ongoing.
- The product is the foodservice "Smoked Sausage Spice 32.86#"; the reason is an undeclared sesame allergen.
- Sesame became the ninth major U.S. food allergen under the FASTER Act of 2021, with labeling required from January 1, 2023.
- As a bulk ingredient, the omission propagates to the labeling of products made with it.
- Quantity 120 units, distributed within Texas. Initiated 2026-05-07; reported 2026-07-15.
- Among the FDA recall records this site holds as of 2026-09-01, the 109 undeclared-allergen records name milk 31 times, soy 15, sesame 9, egg 7, tree nut 7, wheat 6 and peanut 5.
1Sesame is the newest major allergen in the United States
For a long time the United States required labeling for eight major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. Sesame was added as the ninth by the FASTER Act, enacted in 2021, with the labeling requirement applying from January 1, 2023.
Sesame labeling therefore has a much shorter operational history than the other eight, and practices for ingredient control and label format are still settling. That newness is not incidental background to a labeling gap.
2What a foodservice spice blend is
The product is a foodservice spice sold in 32.86-pound units — not something that reaches a household table. It is an ingredient processors use to make products such as sausage. When a declaration is missing at this stage, sesame will also be absent from the labeling of whatever is made with it.
A record of 120 units within Texas looks small, but for a recall of a bulk ingredient the real reach is determined by what was made from it.
3"The most serious class, for a small quantity"
The class reflects the probability of harm to health, not the quantity. An undeclared allergen creates a situation no amount of personal care can avoid, which is why it frequently falls into Class I. The other undeclared-allergen recalls this site holds — fish, milk, pecans, pistachios, peanuts, cashews — sit in the most serious class for the same reason.
4Which allergens go undeclared most often
Of the 1,408 FDA recall records this site holds as of 2026-09-01, 109 cite an undeclared allergen. Counting the foods named in those reasons gives milk in 31, the most, then soy in 15, sesame in 9, egg and tree nut in 7 each, wheat in 6, and peanut and fish in 5 each.
Sesame's nine look small beside milk and soy. But the requirement is new, dating from 2023, and where products designed before it remain on the market, sesame belongs to the side that will grow. A small count does not mean a small risk.
Why it matters
A food newly added to the major allergen list requires goods-in inspection, recipe control, and label version control raised to the level applied to established allergens. For a business handling bulk ingredients, the weight comes from propagation into customers' final labeling, not just its own. The granularity of shipping records — which processor received what — is what determines whether a recall can actually work.
FAQ
How many major food allergens does the U.S. recognize?
Why the most serious class for only 120 units?
Does a foodservice ingredient still matter?
Sources (primary)
Source: openFDA (U.S. FDA, CC0 public domain). Data is provided as-is and must not be used for medical decisions. Verify the latest and exact details with the official FDA recall information. This site is not endorsed or certified by the U.S. FDA.
- FDA recall information (official)
- openFDA (data provider)
- Recall number: H-1138-2026