Kraft Heinz Recalls American Cheese Slices Due to Choking Hazard

Kraft Heinz is recalling thousands of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles of American cheese slices following choking and gagging complaints.

This image provided by Kraft Heinz shows a 24-pack of American cheese slices. Courtesy of Kraft Heinz

Kraft Heinz is recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually wrapped Kraft Singles of American cheese slices after it was found that part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard.

The company announced the voluntary recall in a statement on Sept. 19, pointing out that the recall affects a “limited number of customers” in the United States and comes as a precaution after one of its wrapping machines developed a “temporary issue” that makes it possible for a thin strip of individual film to remain on the slice even after it’s been removed from the wrapper.

“If the film sticks to the slice and is not removed, it could be unpleasant and potentially cause a gagging or choking hazard,” the food giant, co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh, stated.

Kraft Heinz also said that the affected machine has since been fixed, and all other processing machines have been thoroughly inspected.

The company had been alerted to the issue after receiving several complaints from consumers who found the plastic stuck to slices of cheese, including six cases in which consumers said they had “choked or gagged” as a result of using the affected product.

No injuries or serious health issues have been reported, Kraft Heinz said.

The recall only affects Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices with the following case and package information, and no other varieties of sizes are included in the recall.

• Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product (16 oz.) with an individual package UPC of 0 2100061526 1 and a “Best When Used By” date of Jan. 10, 2024, through Jan. 27, 2024. Individual packages in this recall will contain an “S” and “72” in the manufacturing code.
• Three-pound multipacks of Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product with a carton UPC of 0 2100060491 3 and a “Best When Used By” of Jan. 9, 2024, through Jan. 13, 2024, and Jan. 16, 2024.

This image provided by Kraft Heinz shows a 72-pack of American cheese slices. Courtesy of Kraft Heinz

“Kraft Heinz is committed to upholding the highest safety and quality standards and apologizes for this inconvenience,” the company stated.

Consumers who purchased the affected items should not consume them and can return them to the store where they were bought for an exchange or a refund, according to the statement.

Kraft Heinz can be contacted Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and to receive reimbursement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News