Ritz Cracker Recall 2025: Peanut Butter Sandwiches Pulled in 8 States Over Hidden Allergen Risk

As of December 3, 2025, families in eight U.S. states are being urged to check their snack drawers after Mondelēz Global LLC announced a limited voluntary recall of certain Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches because of a hidden peanut allergen risk.

According to a company announcement posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the recall covers 70 cases of 20‑count boxes in which some individually wrapped packs were mislabeled as the cheese variety even though they contain peanut butter. ^[1] That misprint may sound minor, but for people with peanut allergies it can be life‑threatening.

Consumer outlets including Allrecipes, EatingWell, Health.com, and Simply Recipes have all amplified the alert this week, stressing that the error could easily slip past busy parents packing lunches or stocking “peanut‑free” snack bins. ^[2]

What Exactly Is Being Recalled?

The current December 2025 recall is narrow but serious. Here’s how to identify the affected product:

Brand & product: Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches
Size & format: 27.6‑ounce box, 20 count (20 × 1.38‑oz six‑pack sleeves) ^[3]
UPC code: 0 44000 07584 2 ^[4]
Best‑by dates:January 8, 2026 and January 15, 2026
Plant code:“AE” only, printed on the top of the carton ^[5]

The problem is not the recipe, but the inner packaging:

Some individually wrapped snack packs inside those boxes are printed as cheese cracker sandwiches, even though the crackers inside are filled with peanut butter. ^[6]
The outer box is labeled correctly and clearly states that the product contains peanuts; the risk arises when inner packs are removed from the box and treated as “cheese” crackers, especially in peanut‑restricted environments like schools and camps. ^[7]

Mondelez and the FDA emphasize that no illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported so far and that the recall is being carried out “out of an abundance of caution.” ^[8]

Which States and Retailers Are Affected?

The recalled Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches were shipped to a limited number of retailers in eight states:

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. ^[9]

Retailers publicly linked to this latest recall include:

Walmart – Consumer reporting and retailer statements indicate that Walmart locations in the affected states received some of the misprinted 20‑count boxes. ^[10]
Wegmans – The regional grocer has posted its own recall notice confirming that the Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwich – 20 pack, UPC 0 44000 07584 2, best‑by 8 JAN 26 and 15 JAN 26, AE plant code only was sold in its stores and can be returned for a full refund. ^[11]

The FDA’s announcement notes that only this single SKU and these two best‑by dates are covered, and that no other Ritz or Mondelēz products are involved. ^[12]

How This Recall Fits Into the July 2025 Ritz Cracker Recall

If this story sounds familiar, that’s because it is.

Back on July 8, 2025, Mondelēz launched a nationwide recall covering:

8‑count, 20‑count, and 40‑count cartons of Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches
A 20‑count Ritz Filled Cracker Sandwich Variety Pack (cheese and peanut butter)

All were manufactured in the U.S. and sold across the country. ^[13]

The July recall was triggered by the same core issue:

Inner packs that looked like cheese sandwiches on the label but actually contained peanut butter, creating an undeclared peanut risk on the single‑serve package level. ^[14]

In July, the FDA later classified the recall as Class II, a category reserved for products where use “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.” ^[15] Even so, regulators warned that people with peanut allergies could still face serious or life‑threatening reactions. ^[16]

Not an “Expansion” – But a Cleanup

The November 28, 2025 announcement explicitly says the new action is:

Limited to one SKU – the 27.6‑oz, 20‑count peanut butter sandwich cartons
Limited to two code dates that were already part of the July recall
“Not an expansion” of the earlier recall. ^[17]

Investor‑focused summaries describe the impact as operationally small (70 cases total) and note that the company is coordinating with the FDA while implementing corrective actions in its supply chain. ^[18]

In plain English: the same problematic code dates flagged in July appear to have remained in circulation in a small pocket of inventory, and the company is now trying to finish the job of getting every last box off shelves. That’s an inference based on the overlapping codes and dates; Mondelēz itself has only said that the 70 cases were “inadvertently shipped” to retailers. ^[19]

Why a Hidden Peanut Allergen Is So Dangerous

For the roughly 6.2 million Americans with peanut allergy, a mislabeled snack is more than an inconvenience—it can be a medical emergency. ^[20]

Key context:

Peanut is one of the nine “major” food allergens recognized in U.S. labeling law. ^[21]
Food allergy advocates estimate that about 33 million people in the U.S. have at least one food allergy, with peanuts among the most common and severe triggers. ^[22]
Accidental ingestion can cause anaphylaxis—a fast‑moving reaction that may involve hives, swelling, vomiting, breathing difficulty, and a dangerous drop in blood pressure, requiring immediate treatment with epinephrine and emergency care. ^[23]

Allergen‑labeling rules in the U.S. (notably the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act) are built around the idea that consumers should be able to identify major allergens at a glance on any package they’re about to eat. ^[24] When an inner snack pack appears to be cheese‑flavored and doesn’t clearly flag peanuts, that safety net effectively collapses—especially in “peanut‑free” classrooms, daycares, and workplaces.

Interestingly, recent research shows that early introduction of peanut‑containing foods to infants has helped drive down peanut allergy rates in young children by roughly 27–43%, but millions of kids and adults still live with the condition. ^[25] That makes accurate labeling just as critical as ever.

What to Do If You Have Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches at Home

If you (or someone you love) has a peanut allergy, treat this as a “check now, decide now” situation.

1. Find the Box

Look specifically for:

Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches
27.6‑oz 20‑count box
UPC: 0 44000 07584 2 ^[26]

This recall does not apply to plain Ritz crackers, Ritz cheese sandwiches in correctly labeled cartons, or other Mondelēz snacks.

2. Check the Codes

On the top of the carton, look for:

Best When Used By:
- 8 JAN 26, or
- 15 JAN 26
Plant code:“AE” only

If your box has this combination of UPC + dates + AE plant code, it falls within the recall. ^[27]

3. If You Have a Peanut Allergy (or Live with Someone Who Does)

Authorities are very clear on this point:

Do not eat the product.
Either discard it or return it to the store for a refund (retailers like Wegmans explicitly offer this option). ^[28]
If anyone with a peanut allergy may have eaten one of the mislabeled packs, watch carefully for symptoms such as hives, swelling of the lips or tongue, vomiting, trouble breathing, or feeling faint—and seek emergency care immediately if they appear. ^[29]

4. If No One in Your Home Has a Peanut Allergy

Technically, the crackers themselves are peanut products, and the outer boxes do warn that they contain peanuts. ^[30] For people without allergies, the food itself is not unsafe because it has peanuts—that’s what peanut butter crackers are.

However, many consumer health outlets advise discarding or returning the box anyway to avoid:

Accidentally sending a mislabeled pack to a peanut‑free school or workplace
Having individual packs separated from their original carton, where the peanut warning is obvious ^[31]

In short: if you keep them, keep them clearly marked and out of circulation beyond your household.

5. How to Get More Information or a Refund

Mondelez has set up a dedicated consumer line:

Phone: 1‑844‑366‑1171
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Eastern Time ^[32]

You can also monitor the FDA’s food recall page for official updates. ^[33]

How Long Will the Ritz Recall Last?

From a store‑shelf perspective, this is likely to be a short‑term disruption:

Analysts describing the recall as “limited” and “precautionary” estimate that the issue will play out over days to weeks, as retailers in the eight states pull the affected boxes and Mondelēz completes corrective actions. ^[34]

However, the paper trail can linger. The July recall, for example, is still listed as ongoing in FDA updates months later, even though most affected stock has long since been removed. ^[35]

So don’t be surprised if “Ritz cracker recall” headlines and database entries stick around well beyond the time your local store has cleared its shelves.

Impact on Mondelēz and the Wider Food Industry

From a financial and corporate‑governance standpoint, this recall is more about reputation and compliance than raw dollars:

Investor news services and AI‑driven coverage categorize the impact on Mondelēz (ticker: MDLZ) as low, emphasizing the tiny volume (70 cases) and the company’s cooperation with the FDA. ^[36]
At the same time, they highlight that a repeat recall tied to the same labeling issue raises questions about quality‑control and supplier oversight, especially when it involves a major allergen. ^[37]

Regulators, for their part, have repeatedly signaled that undeclared allergens are one of the top drivers of U.S. food recalls, and they expect companies to treat recall communication as a core safety obligation. ^[38]

For the broader packaged‑food industry, the Ritz case underscores:

How small printing or packaging errors can create outsized risk when products are widely used in settings like schools, airlines, and hospitals
The importance of synchronizing inner and outer labels, especially for multi‑pack snacks that routinely get separated from their original boxes
The growing public and regulatory intolerance for allergen mislabeling, even when no injuries have occurred

In an era where more than 32 million Americans live with food allergies, and peanuts remain one of the leading causes of food‑related anaphylaxis, the margin for error is vanishingly small. ^[39]

Practical Safety Tips for Peanut‑Allergic Households

Whether or not you have the recalled Ritz crackers at home, this episode is a good reminder to tighten everyday safety habits:

Keep snacks in their original outer packaging whenever possible, so allergen warnings are always visible.
Double‑check both the box and the individual wrapper before serving snacks to someone with allergies.
For kids, label a dedicated “safe snack” bin at home or school and keep photos (or actual boxes) of approved brands and flavors.
Sign up for recall alerts via the FDA or trusted allergy organizations like FARE so you see warnings early. ^[40]
Always make sure that anyone caring for a person with peanut allergy knows how to recognize anaphylaxis and use an epinephrine auto‑injector.

Recalls like this one are unsettling, but they also work: they’re designed to catch errors before anyone gets hurt. The most important step now is simple—check your pantry, identify any affected Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches, and handle them safely.