Over 20 Tons Of Johnsonville Sausage Has Been Recalled Due To Plastic Contamination
The Johnsonville, LLC sausage company has issued a voluntary recall for 42,062 pounds of pork sausage products through the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service due to possible plastic contamination. The product named in the recall is the 14-ounce package of Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar Smoked Sausage links.
The possibly contaminated products were distributed in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas. The recalled products can be recognized by a Best By date of 07/11/2023 C35 that is printed on the backside of the packaging. They will also have a USDA mark of inspection with the establishment number of EST.34224 printed on the packaging as well. It's recommended that consumers check their freezers and refrigerators to ensure that these products are disposed of properly.
The sausage links may contain extraneous plastic materials, and should not be consumed. Anyone who has purchased these products should dispose of them immediately or return them to the store where they were purchased.
The recall was issued due to a consumer complaint
These products are being recalled due to the presence of black plastic fibers found inside the sausages. The recall was issued after a single consumer called to report finding these black strands in their sausages. No claims of illness or injury have been made regarding these products at this time. Anyone with questions regarding this recall can contact Johnsonville, LLC consumer relations coordinator Amanda Fritsch at 888-556-2728 or anachtweyfritsch@johnsonville.com.
According to quality control firm Mekitec, plastics can be some of the most challenging substances to detect in commercially produced foods. Many assembly and packaging machines rely on plastic and rubber parts that may contaminate food products. Some ready-to-eat foods may also plan to include certain plastic items such as plastic utensils that make detection more difficult. Occasionally, an x-ray machine can be used to detect plastic contamination, but only in the case of plastic with a certain density. In this case, however, all it took was one eagle-eyed shopper.