The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has recalled thousands of repackaged M&M candies across more than a dozen states due to improper allergen warnings that could pose a risk to consumers.

Why were the M&M candies recalled?

Beacons Promotions Inc., based in Minnesota, announced a voluntary recall on Jan. 26 of 6,000 units of repackaged M&M candies due to a labeling error with a variety of promotional names on the packaging.

However, the affected items didn’t have the proper warning labels, stating that they may contain milk, soy and peanuts, which is a mandatory requirement from the federal agency, according to an FDA news release obtained by AllRecipes.com, Newsweek and The Independent.

On Wednesday, the FDA issued a classification of the recall and important information for those who may have reactions under this labeling.

The risks of a Class II recall and the symptoms of an allergic reaction

The federal agency classified the recall as a Class II, “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” according to its official website.

Milk, soy and peanuts are among the nine food allergens identified by the FDA; the others include eggs, wheat, sesame, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish and fish. Anyone who may have been in contact with any of the listed allergens would have symptoms within minutes to a few hours. A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis, per the FDA.

Symptoms of allergic reactions can include:

-Hives

-Flushed skin or rash

-Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth

-Face, tongue, or lip swelling

-Vomiting and/or diarrhea

-Abdominal cramps

-Coughing or wheezing

-Dizziness and/or lightheadedness

-Swelling of the throat and vocal cords

-Difficulty breathing

-Loss of consciousness

How to identify the M&M candy packaging

The affected M&M candies were packaged by third-party companies, but were distributed in packaging with promotional labels. The M&M Peanut candies and classic M&M candies in 1.3-ounce bags have been recalled, according to AllRecipes.com.

Consumers can identify the recalled food items’ packaging by finding the following details, according to Newsweek:

-Repackaged M&M’s Peanut candies – item BB458BG – 5788 units – Lot codes: L450ARCLV03, L502FLHKP01, L523CMHKP01, L537GMHKP01 – best-by dates: 12/1/2025, 1/1/2026, 6/30/2026, 9/1/2026.

-Repackaged M&M’s Peanut candies – item BB471BG – 541 units – Lot code: M1823200 – best-by date: 4/30/2026

The recalled M&M candies with item number BB471BG were labelled as Make Your Mark.

Details on the promotional packaging of the candies and the states to which they were distributed

“The recalled candies with item number BB458BG had any of the following promotional labels or packages: Next Up; Smith Pro; Jaxport, Jacksonville Port Authority; Climax Molybdenum, A Freeport-McMoRan Company; University of Maryland, School of Public Policy; Liberty University Environmental Health & Safety; Subaru; Trinity Cyber; Candy Treats; JSE, Jordan & Skala Engineers; Dropbox DocSend; PP, Prosperity Promotions; Northwest Indian College Foundation; FES Branding Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies; Merry Maids Annual 26 Conference; BW, Best Western; Morgan Stanley; Tufin; Compliments of Pioneer; A.D. Morgan, Construction Manager, Design Builder, General Contractor; Adobe; Xfinity; Fundermax Interiors; White Cup; Acadia Commercial; Aviagen; ORG Expo; Make Your Mark,” Newsweek reported.

The recalled candies were distributed to the following states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

As of Wednesday, there are no reports of illness due to the recalled products.