Are your go-to sauces hiding dangerous ingredients? Recall issued

Time for another pantry check, folks. A new recall has added to 2025’s growing list of food safety warnings, and it might be sitting in your kitchen right now. Five popular Miss Chow’s Asian sauces have been pulled from shelves across Australia after being found to contain undeclared wheat and nut allergens.

The recall affected products manufactured by JCJ WA PTY LTD and sold in independent retailers across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

The affected items were all sold in 240ml jars and included the following varieties: Chilli Oil with best-before dates up to and including 7 August 2027, Signature Laksa Paste up to and including 8 January 2026, Signature Malaysian Curry Paste up to and including 10 January 2026, Ready to Eat Sambal Chilli up to and including 9 January 2026, and Special Dumpling Sauce up to and including 22 July 2027.

For older Australians, this type of recall carried particular weight. Allergies were not limited to childhood—immune systems could become more sensitive with age, and reactions that were once mild could become severe. Wheat allergies and coeliac disease could develop at any stage of life, while nut allergies—especially tree nuts—were known to cause dangerous responses even in small amounts.

Why this matters more with age

Managing these conditions was further complicated for seniors juggling multiple medications, making it even more important to avoid accidental allergen exposure.

If you had these Miss Chow’s products in your pantry, the first step was to stay calm. Anyone who had already consumed the products and felt concerned about their health was urged to consult a medical professional.

Next came the pantry check—examining jars carefully for the brand, product names, and best-before dates listed above.

If any recalled jars were found, consumers were advised to stop using them immediately. Products could be thrown out or returned to their place of purchase for a full refund with no questions asked.

Those who had already opened or served the products were told to wash any surfaces, plates, pots, or utensils the sauces may have touched to prevent cross-contamination.

Your recall action checklist

This recall was only one of many issued throughout 2025. From Texas Pete hot sauces to products containing undeclared milk, sesame, and other allergens, a pattern had emerged—most recalls involved mislabelling and allergen declarations rather than outright contamination.

Industry experts pointed to labelling and quality control issues as the likely culprits, making it vital for households to stay alert.

How to stay ahead of future recalls

Practical strategies could help Australians stay ahead of future recalls. Keeping a simple pantry inventory ensured you could quickly check whether you owned a recalled product. Signing up for recall alerts from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) added another layer of protection, especially for households managing food allergies.

Reading labels thoroughly and resisting the temptation to overstock pantries also reduced risk and potential waste.

Food recalls can sometimes feel like isolated incidents, but they often reveal a broader pattern of hidden risks in everyday products.

Just as with the recent sauce recall, another case showed how undeclared ingredients could have very real consequences for families.

It’s a reminder that staying alert to food safety updates is one of the simplest ways to protect your household from unexpected health risks.

Read more: Popular yoghurt recall puts families on alert after children fall ill

Have you checked your pantry shelves recently, or could one of these jars still be hiding in your kitchen?