Month: June 2025

A recent cookie recall has escalated, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now designating it as a Class I recall, which is the highest risk level. This move comes after New Grains Gluten Free Bakery identified that several of its baked goods, including four types of cookies, may contain undeclared allergens such as eggs, soy, or milk.

According to Newsweek, the Class I designation signals that there’s a reasonable chance the affected products could cause serious health consequences or even death. Millions of Americans live with food allergies or sensitivities, and undeclared allergens can trigger severe reactions, from mild discomfort to life-threatening anaphylaxis.

The recall involves gluten-free varieties of Chocolate Chip, Frosted Sugar, Coconut Macaroon, and Brownie Chocolate Chip cookies, sold in clear plastic bags with net weights of four ounces, containing six or eight cookies per package. The packaging issues didn’t just stop with missing allergen warnings. Lot codes and date codes were also unreadable or absent, complicating efforts to identify affected batches.

The bakery’s website states its mission is to “create and deliver high-quality, healthy, and delicious gluten-free products,” but this incident has raised concerns over labeling and quality control. Compounding the issue, earlier this month, New Grains Gluten Free Bakery recalled several other products, including breads, bagels, and croutons, also due to undeclared allergens.

Despite the scale of the recall, no illnesses have been reported as of now. Consumers who purchased the affected cookies are advised to return them to the point of sale for a full refund. For further information, New Grains Gluten Free Bakery can be reached at 801-980-5751 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. MST, Monday through Friday.

This recall serves as a critical reminder that food manufacturers must maintain stringent labeling standards, particularly when catering to consumers with allergies. As companies expand into gluten-free and specialty markets, the need for accurate and visible labeling is more important than ever.

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Amazon is taking a big step to reduce packaging waste amid rising criticism of its environmental practices. The e-commerce giant announced plans to install hundreds of automated box-making machines across European fulfillment centers by 2025, aiming to minimize excess packaging and cut carbon emissions.

According to Amazon, these custom box-making machines use sensors to measure product dimensions and create made-to-fit boxes. Instead of relying on plastic padding, the machines pack items in recyclable paper, saving an average of 26 grams of packaging per shipment. The cool down reported that Pat Lindner, Amazon’s vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, called the move “a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of deliveries for our European customers.”

The initiative comes at a critical time. While Amazon has claimed it avoided 3 million metric tons of packaging since 2015 and co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019 with a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, environmental concerns persist. Recent reports highlighted Amazon’s plans to invest $87 billion in data centers by 2030—projects that could generate an estimated 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions.

In 2023, Business Insider revealed the environmental costs of Amazon’s sprawling data center operations. Critics argue that the company’s efforts to boost sustainability are undermined by its growing carbon footprint. Earlier this year, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of greenwashing, claiming that its paper products contribute to deforestation despite being labeled eco-friendly.

Amazon’s European packaging initiative is part of a broader push to balance customer demand with sustainability. The company plans to have 100,000 electric delivery vans on the road by the end of the decade and has ramped up its zero-emission transportation efforts.

Whether these efforts are enough to offset the environmental impact of its vast logistics and data operations remains to be seen. But for now, Amazon’s investment in automated packaging technology marks a clear shift toward a more sustainable model at least on paper.

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