Urgent nationwide recall for 24,000lbs of chicken over fears it contains shards of PLASTIC that could sever throats
Massachusetts-based Kayem Foods Inc has voluntarily recalled 24,000 pounds of its 'All Natural Al Fresco Chicken Sausage Sweet Apple with Vermont Maple Syrup' after customers reported finding white pieces of plastic inside of them.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Thursday it is 'concerned that some products may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.'
'The problem was discovered after the firm notified (USDA-Food Safety Inspection Service) that it received three consumer complaints reporting white pieces of plastic in the chicken sausage products,' the agency said.
Affected products were produced on June 28, 2025, and have a use- or freeze-by date of October 1, 2025.
Each 11-ounce package contains four sausages and has the lot code 179 printed on the back package label. They also have 'P-7839' printed on the inside of the USDA mark of inspection.
The sausages were sold at Walmart and other retailers in 26 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
No injuries have been reported. FSIS urged customers concerned about potential injuries to contact their doctor.
FSIS is urging customers who have purchased the affected products to not consume them. They should instead toss the sausages out or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
Any potential foreign material that has possibly made its way into the chicken sausages could pose a choking hazard to consumers.
Roughly 5,000 Americans die from choking every year, the majority of whom are children and the elderly due to difficulty swallowing.
It's unclear how the products became contaminated.
This usually happens due to fragments falling off machines during processing or improper sealing of the packaging.
The recall is the latest in a series of those tied to foreign materials that have somehow made their way into food.
Earlier this month, grocery store giant Publix issued two recalls of its ground beef products within a week due to foreign material.
These recalls impacted the chain's locations at the Limestone Marketplace Publix in Gainesville, Georgia, and in the Abernathy Square Shopping Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
And in May the chain was at the center of a baby food recall over fears the products were contaminated with lead.
No illnesses were reported for either Publix recall.
The FSIS urged customers with questions about the Kayem Foods recall to contact Joellen West at 617-889-1600 x247 or jwest@kayem.com.
Another sausage brand was recalled in April for the same issue.
Johnsonville recalled its cheddar bratwursts, sold in groups of five in sealed firm tray packages.
At least two customers reported plastic in their sausages, although no injuries occurred.
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.'
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.
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