Nestlé Prepared Foods has recalled more than 700,000 pounds of frozen pepperoni hot pockets, which may contain pieces of glass and hard plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Friday.
The recall came after Nestlé received four separate consumer complaints about “foreign matter” in hot peppers, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.
The company said in a press release on Friday that contaminated products “could pose a risk of suffocation or cut and should not be consumed”.
One consumer reported “minor oral injury related to consumption of this product,” but there were no other reports of injury or illness, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The recall covers approximately 762,615 pounds of Hot Pepperoni Hot Pockets that were packaged in 54-ounce boxes of 12 Hot Pockets with an expiration date of February 2022. The label reads “Nestlé Hot Pockets Brand Sandwiches: Premium Pepperoni with Pork, Chicken and Beef Pizza Garlic Butter Crust. “
The recalled Hot Pockets were manufactured and shipped to stores across the country November 13-16, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.
“The quality, safety and integrity of Nestlé USA and Hot Pockets products remains our number one priority,” said Nestlé. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this move is causing both our consumers and retail customers.”
Nestlé did not immediately respond to additional requests.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Hot Pocket recall had been classified as Class 1, a high health risk “where there is a reasonable likelihood that use of the product will result in serious, adverse health effects or death.”
The service urged consumers to throw away or return the product.
Nestle acquired Chef America, which made the top-selling hot pocket and toaster microwave pizza snacks in 2002, for $ 2.6 billion in 2002.
