If Halloween candy is already sitting in the pantry from a run to TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or HomeGoods this year, it’s worth checking the bag before anyone opens one. Crystal Temptations has recalled its Little Temptations Chocolatey Eyeballs across 13 states after discovering some packages contain milk that never made it onto the label.
What Regulators Found
Per the FDA’s posted recall notice, a TJX company analyst first flagged chocolatey eyeballs containing whey inside packaging that never disclosed milk as an ingredient, creating what the notice calls a risk of “serious or life-threatening allergic reaction” for anyone with a milk allergy. Crystal Temptations traced it to what it described as “a temporary breakdown in the company’s production and packaging processes.” No illnesses had been reported as of the recall’s posting.
Which States and Products Are Affected
The recall covers candy distributed to stores in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming, sold under Marshalls, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, and Sierra Trading Post. Five separate style numbers are involved, spanning different bag and jar sizes: 54040-CHEY in a 10-ounce bag, 54077-CHEY in a 7-ounce acrylic box, 58008-CHEY in a 10.5-ounce round jar, 58089-CHEY in a 16-ounce pouch, and 54083-CHEY in an 11-ounce bag.
Anyone who bought one of these should check the style number printed on the packaging rather than relying on how the candy looks, since the affected and unaffected eyeballs are visually identical.
What to Do With Candy Already at Home
The FDA recall instructs consumers not to eat the affected product and to either discard it or return it to the store where it was purchased. Refunds require proof of purchase, so it helps to hold onto a receipt if one still exists. Crystal Temptations can be reached directly at 1-201-246-7990, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, for questions about a specific package.
For households handing out treats this Halloween, the safest move is simply pulling any eyeball-shaped candy from these retailers out of the bowl until the style number has been checked against the recall list, especially in a house where any trick-or-treater has a known milk allergy.
It’s also worth checking any candy already bagged up for a class party or trunk-or-treat event, since bulk purchases from these off-price retailers are exactly the kind of stock that tends to get split up and handed out before anyone thinks to check a style number again. The recalled jars and bags don’t look different from unaffected stock on shelf, which is why the FDA notice leans so heavily on checking the printed code rather than the product itself.
