The FDA has issued an alert for Imperial brand cookies and candies because they contain allergens that are not declared on the product label as required. The allergens are milk, wheat, and pistachios (tree nuts). Anyone who is allergic to those ingredients, as well as anyone who is lactose intolerant or has celiac disease, could have a serious reaction if they eat these items. Not all of the products have all of these allergens. The firm is Imperial Nougat Company of Santa Fe Springs, California.
The FDA conducted an inspection at the company’s facility on April 30, 2026 and found that some of their products contained those allergens. On May 5, 2025, the FDA recommended that the company recall the products. Imperial Nougat Company notified one of its customers to remove these products, but they did not notify other customers and did not issue a press release to inform the public. So the alert has been issued.
These cookies were distributed to Iranian/Persian and Middle Eastern specialty markets in the state of California. You can see more pictures of these products at the FDA web site.
The items in question include Imperial Chocolate Covered Chickpea Cookies packaged in 8 ounce plastic clamshells with expiration date October 30, 2026. That product containers undeclared milk. Chickpea cookies with the Imperial logo, packaged in 16 ounce containers, have undeclared wheat. The expiration date for that product is December 28, 2026.
Imperial Coconut Cookies, packaged in a 10 ounce plastic clamshell, have undeclared pistachios. The expiration date for that product is December 30, 2026. Finally, Imperial Persian Nougats (Pistachio Nougat in flour), packaged in 20 ounce containers, is included in this alert. That product has undeclared wheat. The expiration dates on the package are from April 8, 2027 through May 4, 2027.
If you purchased any of these products and cannot consume the related allergens, do not eat them. You can throw them away in a secure trash can after double bagging or wrapping them so others can’t see them, or you can take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund.
