A beloved dairy-free dessert is off the shelves after stones were found in the mix—another reminder of how fragile food safety can be.
Danone U.S. has issued a voluntary recall of its So Delicious Dairy Free Salted Caramel Cluster frozen dessert after discovering small stones and other hard objects embedded within the cashew inclusions.
The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall on December 16, 2025, affecting pints sold at retail stores nationwide with best-by dates before August 8, 2027.
The recall targets a specific product identified by SKU #136603 and UPC #744473476138. Consumers who purchased the affected pints should not consume them and can contact the So Delicious Dairy Free Care Line at 1-833-367-8975 for refund information.
No other So Delicious Dairy Free flavors or products are impacted by this recall, according to company statements.
How foreign material enters food products
Foreign material contamination represents a significant challenge in food manufacturing, particularly when dealing with ingredients like nuts that undergo multiple processing stages.
The presence of stones in cashew inclusions suggests a breakdown in quality control during the sourcing or processing of these ingredients before they reached the frozen dessert production line.
Danone stated that it has already identified and corrected the issue at its facilities. The company emphasized its commitment to product quality and consumer safety in initiating this voluntary recall.
Working with retail partners, Danone is removing potentially impacted products from store shelves while preparing to reintroduce the product once safety protocols are confirmed.
Rising recall volumes in 2025
This recall comes during a year marked by increased food safety actions across federal agencies. According to Food Safety News, FDA food recalls reached 145 events in the third quarter of 2025, the second-highest quarterly total since the first quarter of 2020. The volume of affected units surged by 75.8 percent during that period, rising from 14.32 million units to 25.17 million.
Foreign material contamination has emerged as a leading cause of recalls in 2025. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service recorded three foreign material events in the third quarter alone, accounting for 58.03 million pounds of recalled product.
These incidents included everything from metal fragments in sausages to wood in corn dogs, highlighting the diverse nature of contamination risks across the food supply chain.
The FDA classifies recalls based on health risk levels, with Class I representing the most severe category for situations involving potential serious injury or death. Foreign objects like stones fall into this higher-risk category because they can cause traumatic injuries including lacerations and perforations of mouth, throat, and digestive tract tissues, as well as damage to teeth and gums.
What consumers should know
Food safety experts note that hard objects under 25 millimeters present the greatest potential for harm, though items smaller than 7 millimeters rarely cause injury except among vulnerable populations like infants, surgery patients, and elderly individuals. The stones found in the So Delicious product could pose risks across multiple consumer groups depending on their size and hardness.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should take immediate action. The FDA recommends wrapping contaminated products securely before disposal and thoroughly cleaning any surfaces that may have contacted the product. Refrigerator shelves, cutting boards, countertops, and utensils should be washed and then sanitized with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water.
The recall underscores ongoing challenges in maintaining food safety across complex supply chains where ingredients travel through multiple processors before reaching final products. While most recalls remain voluntary and company-initiated, they serve as crucial mechanisms for protecting public health when quality control measures fail to catch contamination before products reach store shelves.
Danone's swift response and coordination with federal regulators demonstrates the importance of rapid action when potential hazards are identified in widely distributed food products.
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