How Abdallah Candies grew from mom-and-pop shop to national company

A Minnesota candy company is recalling a product sold nationwide because the boxes containing the treats are mislabeled and don't list nuts as an ingredient, posing a serious health risk to those with allergies.

Abdallah Candies is recalling 8-ounce boxes of "sea salt almond alligators" with a chocolate covered cherries label and the code 0315 on the bottom, the Apple Valley, Minn.-based maker of chocolate, caramels and candy said Tuesday in a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration. 

"People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," the recall states. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies are a growing food safety and public health concern that affects 6% of adults and an estimated 8% of children in the U.S.

Food allergies are behind tens of thousands of emergency department visits each year, and as many as 200 Americans die from anaphylaxis, a sudden and severe allergic reaction, the federal agency said.

The recalled candy was distributed nationwide and sold in specialty retail stores, grocery shops and other retail outlets from March 1, 2024, to March 29, 2024. Consumers who bought the recalled candy were advised to destroy the product or return it to the place of purchase.

Consumers with questions can call Abdallah Candies Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time at (952) 890-4770 or (800) 348-7328.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.