Nearly 23,000 pounds of sausages sold by a popular brand are being recalled over fears they may contain shards of hard plastic.
Johnsonville is recalling its cheddar bratwursts, sold in groups of five in sealed firm tray packages.
Two customers have reported plastic in their sausages so far, although no injuries due to this have been revealed to date.
Officials fear the plastic shards pose a risk of dental injury or choking for consumers.
The sausages were produced on February 5 and are no longer on shelves, but officials fear some could still be lurking in freezers. They were sold in 10 states.
Anyone who has the affected sausages is being urged to throw them out or return them to stores for a full refund.
It follows an urgent recall for Tony’s Chocolonely chocolates over fears that they too could contain ‘hard or sharp foreign objects’.
A total of 6,000 Johnsonville-branded cheddar bratwursts are being recalled over fears they might be contaminated with plastic
Overall, 22,000 pounds of the sausages are being recalled — with each 19 pound pack containing five sausages.
The sausages were sold across 10 states and in major grocery store chains such as Kroger.
The states include Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Recalled sausages have a package code ‘B9FOD’ and an establishment number of ‘Est 1647’ on the label.
Johnsonville reported the contamination to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which revealed the recall.
Officials said: ‘[We] are concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers.
‘Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.’
Johnsonville is a highly popular sausage brand in the US, and is sold in more than 45 countries worldwide.
It is also the largest sausage brand in the US by revenue, making more than $1billion annually.
