A misprinted tasting guide tucked inside boxes of French Broad Chocolates’ Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection swapped the descriptions for two flavors, Walnut Fudge and Peach Cobbler, effectively hiding a walnut allergen from anyone relying on the card to choose a safe piece. The Asheville, North Carolina-based chocolatier has voluntarily recalled the affected boxes in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, warning that the error poses a risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions for people sensitive to walnuts or other tree nuts.
The recall covers 6-piece, 12-piece, and 24-piece boxes carrying batch numbers 260414 and 260417. Those batches were distributed nationally, including through online sales, though the FDA notice does not list specific retailers or provide a count of how many boxes shipped.
How the labeling error works
Each Bette’s Bake Sale Bonbon Collection box includes a printed tasting notes card that identifies every flavor in the assortment. In the recalled batches, the descriptions for Walnut Fudge and Peach Cobbler were transposed. A consumer with a walnut allergy scanning the card would see “Peach Cobbler” listed where “Walnut Fudge” should appear, removing the only in-box warning that one of the chocolates contains a major tree nut allergen.
Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), manufacturers must disclose the presence of major allergens, including tree nuts, on any packaging element a consumer would reasonably use to identify ingredients. A tasting notes insert falls squarely within that requirement, making the transposed descriptions an undeclared-allergen violation under federal law.
No injuries reported so far
The FDA notice states that no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall as of its posting date. That language is standard for newly announced recalls and does not rule out later reports if consumers or health-care providers file complaints after the fact. Allergic reactions to tree nuts can range from hives and swelling to anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal response that requires immediate treatment with epinephrine.
French Broad Chocolates has not publicly disclosed how many units in the two affected batches were produced or sold, leaving the full scope of consumer exposure unclear. The company also has not released a public statement explaining how the printing error occurred or what steps it plans to take to prevent similar mislabeling in future runs.
State regulators amplify the alert
The Oregon Department of Agriculture independently reposted the recall, confirming the same batch numbers, product names, and flavor-swap details. That state-level amplification extends the alert beyond the FDA’s own channels and into a regulatory system that reaches local retailers and consumers directly. Other states have not issued parallel notices in the available public record, meaning consumers outside Oregon should rely on the FDA’s recall index or direct communication from the company.
What to do if you have a recalled box
Check the batch number. Look at the outer packaging for batch number 260414 or 260417. If either number appears, the box is covered by the recall regardless of where it was purchased.
Do not rely on appearance. People with walnut or tree nut allergies should not attempt to identify safe flavors by sight. The documented misprint and the possibility of cross-contact during production make visual inspection unreliable.
Stop eating and seek a refund. Allergic consumers should dispose of the chocolates or follow return instructions from French Broad Chocolates or the retailer. Non-allergic consumers can contact the company about replacement or reimbursement. French Broad Chocolates can be reached through its website at frenchbroadchocolates.com.
Report any reactions. Anyone who experienced an allergic reaction after eating bonbons from a recalled box should seek medical care and can file a report through the FDA’s Safety Reporting Portal. These reports help regulators gauge the real-world impact of labeling failures and can shape the urgency of corrective actions.
Why a misprinted insert matters this much
Boxed chocolate assortments present a particular allergen challenge because individual pieces rarely carry their own ingredient labels. The tasting guide is often the only tool a consumer has to match a bonbon to its contents. When that guide is wrong, the safety system breaks down at the exact point where an allergic person is making a decision about what to eat.
Tree nut allergies affect roughly 1.2% of the U.S. population, according to data published by the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and reactions can be triggered by very small amounts. For households sharing a box of chocolates with guests, children, or family members whose allergies may not be known to everyone at the table, an accurate insert is not a nicety. It is the last line of defense.
Until French Broad Chocolates provides more detail on the root cause and any quality-control changes, the public record on this recall remains limited to the federal and Oregon postings. Consumers with recalled boxes should check their batch numbers, heed the recall guidance, and watch the FDA’s recall index for updates as of May 2026.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
