Durham Region shoppers are being advised to check their freezers after a nationwide food recall involving Compliments Smashed 100% Chicken Burgers was significantly expanded.
The Compliments chicken recall now applies to all codes of the affected product where egg is not declared on the label.
An earlier recall announced in August applied only to a specific best-before date and lot number, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has now broadened the alert.
The concern is undeclared egg, which can pose a health risk to people with an egg allergy.
Which Compliments chicken burgers are recalled?
The expanded recall involves:
- Compliments Smashed 100% Chicken Burgers
- 680-gram packages
- UPC 0 55742 58333 5
- All codes where egg is not declared on the label
Consumers should check both the product name and UPC, as well as the ingredient and allergen information printed on the package.
The burgers were distributed nationally, meaning consumers in Ontario and Durham Region could potentially have purchased affected packages.
The CFIA has not provided store-by-store information showing where individual packages were sold.
Earlier recall covered only one lot
The latest notice substantially expands an earlier recall involving the same product.
When the CFIA first issued an alert in early August, it identified packages with a best-before date of 2027-JA-06 and lot number 00099193.
The updated recall is much broader.
Instead of focusing on that single lot, it now covers all codes of Compliments Smashed 100% Chicken Burgers where egg is missing from the label.
Consumers who previously checked their package against the original lot number should therefore check it again under the expanded criteria.
Undeclared egg prompts recall
The food safety concern involves egg that is present but not properly declared on the product label.
Accurate allergen labelling is particularly important for consumers with food allergies because they rely on package information when deciding whether a product is safe for them to eat.
People with an egg allergy should not consume the affected burgers.
The CFIA instructs consumers and businesses not to use, sell, serve or distribute products included in the recall.
The current federal recall notice does not identify any reported allergic reactions or illnesses connected with the burgers.
Recall classified as Class II
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has classified the expanded recall as Class II.
Under the agency’s recall system, Class II means there is a moderate risk that consuming the food could cause short-term or non-life-threatening health problems.
Leadbetter Foods Inc. is identified as the company carrying out the recall.
The recall itself is dated Aug. 27, while the federal notice was published and updated Aug. 31.
Durham consumers should check packages again
Because the recall has changed from a single identified lot to all codes with inadequate egg labelling, consumers should not rely solely on information from the original August alert.
Anyone in Durham Region with Compliments Smashed 100% Chicken Burgers in their refrigerator or freezer should check the 680-gram package for UPC 0 55742 58333 5 and examine whether egg is declared on the label.
If the product matches the expanded Compliments chicken recall criteria, it should not be eaten, served, sold or redistributed.
Consumers can also follow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s recall notices for any further changes to the affected products or codes.
