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More than 500,000 packages of macaroni and cheese sold at Aldi have been recalled over a potentially undeclared allergen.Cases of Aldi's Park St. Deli Macaroni & Cheese have been pulled from shelves as they may contain soy lecithin. BEF Foods Inc., the product maker, initiated the voluntary recall in March. and the Food and Drug Administration classified it as a Class II recall on June 10.The FDA describes a Class II recall as a situation "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."A news release was not issued when the recall was initiated. USA TODAY reached out to Aldi and BEF Foods for comment.What to know about the Aldi macaroni and cheese recallThe recall covers 58,405 cases of the product. Each case contains 9-20 oz packages, meaning 525,645 individual packages of macaroni and cheese have been pulled.The following product codes are covered under the recall:SUL4839705SUL4839706SUL4853771SUL4853772SUL4854698SUL4854700SUL4854701SUL4855698SUL4855699SUL4855700SUL4857735SUL4857736SUL4857737SUL4857784SUL4857785SUL4866750SUL4866751SUL4866752SUL4866781SUL4866782SUL4866783SUL4866784SUL4872813SUL4872814SUL4872815SUL4873787SUL4873788SUL4886739SUL4886740SUL4887698SUL4887699The FDA data page for the recall states that the affected packages were distributed nationwide.What is soy lecithin?Lecithin is a group of chemicals the body uses to move fats, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.They are found in foods such as egg yolks, soybeans, wheat germ, peanuts, and liver. Some people also take them as supplements, and they can come in capsules, liquid, or granules.In the food industry, lecithin is used as an additive to combine foods, the medical center added. One example is salad dressing.Soy lecithin emulsifies ingredients, such as oil and water, to blend the salad dressing into a smooth consistency, Judy Simon, a clinical dietitian nutritionist at the University of Washington, previously told USA TODAY.
