FDA Issues Consumer Update on Milk Allergies and Dark Chocolate

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an update for consumers on its 2018 study examining milk allergies and dark chocolate. “U.S. law requires manufacturers to label food products that are major allergens, as well as food products that contain major allergenic ingredients or proteins,” the update notes. “Allergens contained in a food product but not named on the label are a leading cause of FDA requests for food recalls, and undeclared milk is the most frequently cited allergen. Chocolates are one of the most common sources of undeclared milk associated with consumer reactions.”

FDA advised consumers to interpret “may contain” disclosures as “likely to contain,” even if the package is also labeled as dairy-free or vegan. “Unfortunately, you can’t always tell if dark chocolate contains milk by reading the ingredients list. FDA researchers found that of 94 dark chocolate bars tested, only six listed milk as an ingredient. When testing the remaining 88 bars that did not list milk as an ingredient, FDA found that 51 of them actually did contain milk. In fact, the FDA study found milk in 61 percent of all bars tested.”