STOP & SHOP: MISLABELING OF CAKES IS ISOLATED ERROR

JENNIFER QUAIL

QUINCY, Mass. -- Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. here has called the recent mislabeling, and consequent recall, of its store-brand Lactose Free cakes an isolated incident.

The chocolate and yellow, quarter-sheet and 8-inch round single- and double-layer cakes -- sold out of in-store bakeries -- were recalled because they contained eggs that had mistakenly not been declared on the labels.

The company learned of the discrepancy as a result of a phone call from a customer whose nine-year-old son had a reaction after ingesting a serving of the Lactose Free cake. The boy was treated and released from a local hospital.

Upon learning of the mislabeling, Stop & Shop immediately pulled all remaining product from the shelves and issued a press release over newswires throughout the Northeast region -- where all its units are located.

"We immediately issued a press release to the media," said Cheryl Coveney, a public affairs associate for the company. "We then followed up with another release after having contacted the [Food and Drug Administration]."

She added that it is policy to contact the FDA under such circumstances.

Customers who purchased the cakes, and suffer from allergies to eggs, were urged to return the product to any Stop & Shop location for a full refund. Coveney said the company cannot be certain how many of the cakes were purchased, but has not had any returns.

She added these are freshmade cakes most typically used in the creation of decorated birthday or holiday cakes, not the type a customer would purchase and then freeze for later use. For that reason, the company believes all product has been consumed or disposed of by this time.

Even so, company officials specified the cakes will not be returned to the sales floor until they are fully satisfied with the accuracy of the ingredient statement.

"This is a regular bake shop item for us and this mislabeling was an isolated incident," Coveney added. "We are confident that we have reached all of our customers."