WASHINGTON — Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it's recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard.
The company, which is based in Chicago and Pittsburgh, said one of its wrapping machines developed a temporary issue that makes it possible for a thin strip of film to remain on the slice even after it's been removed from the wrapper. The machine has since been fixed.
Kraft Heinz said it initiated the voluntary recall after it received several consumer complaints. In six cases, people said the issue caused gagging or choking, but no injuries or serious health issues have been reported, Kraft Heinz said.
The recall affects 16-ounce Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product with a “Best When Used By” date between Jan. 10, 2024, and Jan. 27, 2024. Also included in the recall are 3-pound multipacks of Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product with a “Best When Used By” date between Jan. 9, 2024, and Jan. 13, 2024.
Consumers who bought those products should not consume them and should return them to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or a refund, Kraft Heinz said. Consumers can also contact Kraft Heinz at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and to receive reimbursement.
In recent weeks, U.S. consumers have seen high-profile food recalls for an unappetizing reason: They're contaminated with foreign objects that have no place on a dinner plate. And while no one wants to bite down on stainless steel in peanut butter or bone fragments in smoked sausage, this type of contamination is one of the top reasons for food recalls in the U.S.
“Extraneous materials” triggered nine recalls in 2022 of more than 477,000 pounds of food regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service — triple the number of recalls tied to food contaminated with toxic E. coli bacteria.