Popular Hot Sauce Product Recalled in Texas – What to Look For

Heat is often seen as a measure of tenacity in Texas. You might recall some of the "horror stories" of Texas A&M Football under Coach Bear Bryant that involved the "heat" of West Texas. That's our geographical heat. And if you want to feel what really hot feels like come to Dallas or Wichita Falls in July.

Or swing by Houston in August and you learn about humidity too. Or you could just drop in any of Texas' fine restaurants that serve food with either a Latin or Cajun flair and you'll walk right into the heat there too.

Just to be clear the heat we're talking about today comes from a bottle and involves mashing peppers and adding vinegar. So yeah, we're talking about hot sauce and condiments made with peppers and hot sauce.

It's quite possible, counting restaurant and store brands, that Texas is home to more than 200 different varieties of hot sauce and hot sauce condiments. That often means the heat they are shaking on in Lampasas and Lewisville is not the same heat they are shaking on in Waskom, Weatherford, or Waxahachie.

The same could be said for Houston and El Paso with San Antonio right in the middle. It's almost as if each different region of the state has its own tastes in hot sauce and condiments made with pepper sauce.

Because exceptional seasoning is such an important part of the Texas food scene anytime there is a recall involving hot sauce or condiments that are made with hot sauce we pay attention. In this case, the issue being brought to the forefront for consumers involves a store-brand hot honey mustard dressing.

We should not that the recall was issued not because there was a problem with the product itself, but because there was an issue in labeling certain lots or production runs of the product. Those production runs sent mislabeled products to retailers in Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Washington DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Louisiana, Virginia, and of course, Texas.

The concern, according to the manufacturer is that because of the labeling error the product could contain undeclared allergens such as peanuts, soy, sesame, and wheat. Those allergens can cause serious health issues for those with sensitivities to them.

The product in question is the Hot Honey Mustard Dressing that is sold via Trader Joe's Stores. Here is what the Food and Drug Administration had to say about the recall. And for consumers who'd like to replace the product or get a refund, you'll be pleased to know that the company has established a customer service hotline. You may call Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at 626-599-3817.