Anyone who bought Nature’s Own Hawaiian Bread in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma or Texas can take it back for a full refund. Flowers Foods, the baker, recalled the bread on Oct. 2 because some packages do not list milk as an ingredient. The FDA posted the company’s recall notice on Oct. 5.

The two products recalled

The recall covers two sizes of the same bread. One is the 20-ounce loaf, with the UPC code 0 72250 91662 2 printed on the package. The other is the 40-ounce two-pack, UPC 0 72250 00683 5, which the FDA lists without product codes or a date.

The 20-ounce loaves carry a “best if used by” date from Oct. 8, 2026 to Oct. 18, 2026. Only certain lots are included, and the notice lists five product code ranges on the 20-ounce loaf:

• 0188 262 20:06 through 0188 262 22:05
• 0188 265 09:20 through 0188 265 10:30
• 0188 267 04:50 through 0188 267 06:00
• 0188 270 04:15 through 0188 270 06:05
• 0188 272 17:15 through 0188 272 19:25

Why milk matters

Flowers Foods found the problem during a review of production records, the FDA notice says. Milk is one of the nine major food allergens that U.S. labels must name, the FDA says on its food allergy page. People allergic to milk, or severely sensitive to it, may have an allergic reaction if they eat the bread, the notice says. Food Safety News adds that such a reaction can be fatal.

No illnesses have been reported, according to the company. Anyone who has a reaction should stop eating the food and get medical help, the FDA says.

The question for shoppers in those five states is whether the loaf in the kitchen is one of the recalled ones, and what to do with it if it is.

The recalled 20-ounce loaves are dated Oct. 8 to Oct. 18, and this week catches loaves that may still be in kitchens.

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How to get the refund

The notice gives two choices. A shopper can throw the bread away, or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. The FOX 13 Tampa Bay report on the recall says the same: the bread goes back to the store where it was bought. Neither the FDA notice nor that report gives a refund amount, and neither mentions a receipt requirement.

Flowers’ Consumer Relations Center takes questions at 1-866-245-8921, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. Questions can also be sent by email through the company’s contact page at flowersfoods.com/contact.

Anyone who ate part of a loaf and feels fine does not need to do anything beyond watching for symptoms if they have a milk allergy. The recall is about people who must avoid milk.

Where the bread was sold

Flowers sold the bread at retail stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The notice does not name stores or chains, and it does not say how many loaves are involved. Bread bought in another state, or a different Nature’s Own variety, is not covered.

The company announced the recall on Oct. 2. The FDA put it on its recall page on Oct. 5, and news outlets began reporting it on Oct. 5 and 6. The FDA says the recall was conducted with its knowledge.

Households that have to avoid milk

For a household with a milk allergy, the safest step is to check any Hawaiian bread in the pantry or freezer against the UPC and the best-by date before anyone eats it. A loaf stamped Oct. 8 to Oct. 18 should be checked against the code list above.

Returning the recalled bread

The free route is the FDA’s own recall page, which has the full code table and the company’s contact details. A shopper who is unsure which loaf is in the kitchen can read the UPC and the code off the bag, compare it with the five ranges, and keep the package for the return.

Taking the bag to the store where it was bought is the step the notice names. A photo of the bag’s codes and date, taken before the return, is a simple record if the store asks questions later. Households that bought several loaves should return each one.

The FDA recall page is the place to watch for any change, such as added states or product codes. As of its Oct. 5 posting, the notice lists only the two products and five states described above.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.