Kraft recalling American cheese slices due to possible choking hazard
Food company Kraft Heinz has issued a voluntary recall after nearly 84,000 cases of slices of processed individually wrapped American cheese were deemed to potentially contain choking hazards.
"The voluntary recall comes as a precaution after a temporary issue developed on one of our wrapping machines, making it possible that a thin strip of the individual film may remain on the slice after the wrapper has been removed," Kraft Heinz said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. "If the film sticks to the slice and is not removed, it could be unpleasant and potentially cause a gagging or choking hazard."
No other Kraft products are affected by the company's voluntary recall.
The issue was discovered after Kraft Heinz received several complaints from cosumers saying they found "plastic stuck to a slice, including six complaints of consumers saying they choked or gagged in connection with the issue," Kraft said in their statement.
No injuries or serious health issues have been reported.
Kraft Heinz confirmed that they have now fixed the machine that wrapped the affected slices and thoroughly inspected all other processing machines to ensure the contamination does not happen again.
Only Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices with the case/package information below are affected. No other varieties or sizes are included in the recall.
"Kraft Heinz is committed to upholding the highest safety and quality standards and apologizes for this inconvenience," Kraft said in their apology announcing the recall.
Kraft said that consumers who purchased these products should not consume them and can return them to where they were purchased for an exchange or refund.
Consumers can also contact Kraft Heinz from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST on Monday through Friday at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and receive reimbursement.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Kraft recalled nearly 84,000 cases of slices instead of nearly 84,000 slices.
