During the past week, Nestle recalled 13 tons of DiGiorno™ pizza and Ready Pack recalled 111 tons of prepared salads.  These actions resulted from incorrect labeling with a failure to declare a known allergen.  Destruction of vast quantities of otherwise edible food is inconsistent with sustainability and preventing waste. 

Would it not be possible to recall products and over-label them with the relevant warnings and then distribute these products free of charge to food banks?  Obviously, recalls due to pathogens or foreign material would not be considered for re-labeling. The presence of soybean extracts or anchovies in salad dressing should not be a blanket justification for destruction or rendering of otherwise nutritious food.

Naturally it goes without saying that manufacturers should be more careful to ensure that selected ingredients incorporated into food products should comply with labels. Foods should be  packaged in their appropriate containers bearing appropriate warnings concerning the presence of allergens.