Butterball Recalls Ground Turkey Due to Plastic Contamination
Butterball recalled over 14,000 pounds of ground turkey due to plastic contamination in products produced on Sept. 28.
Oct. 14 2021, Published 11:16 a.m. ET
Butterball recalled over 14,000 pounds of its ground turkey due to contamination issues with its plastic material. The plastic contamination is in ground turkey products produced on September 28, 2021.
Butterball and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall on Oct. 13. Consumers complained about pieces of plastic being embedded in raw ground turkey products. There haven't been any reports of injuries or illness from the contamination, the FSIS said in a statement.
“Butterball is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ensure impacted products are removed from retail locations, but we ask that you check your refrigerator or freezer for these specific products if you have recently purchased tray pack ground turkey,” the company said in a statement.
Recalled turkey is Farm to Family and Kroger brands
The recalled ground turkey is sold under the Farm to Family and Kroger brands at BJ’s and Kroger grocery stores.
The products subject to the recall have the establishment number “EST. P-7345” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The recalled products are:
2.5-lb. trays containing “farm to family BUTTERBALL all-natural Ground Turkey” with the case code 50211271, a sell or freeze by date of 10/18/2021, and timestamps from 2123 through 2302 printed on the packaging
3-lb. tray containing “Kroger GROUND TURKEY” with the case code 50211271, a sell or freeze by date of 10/17/2021, and timestamps from 2314 through 2351 printed on the packaging
If you have the recalled products in your refrigerator, you should throw them away or return them to the store where you purchased them. Consumers with questions regarding the recall are encouraged to call the Butterball Consumer Hotline at (800) 288-8372.
The last Butterball recall was in 2019.
The last time Butterball recalled some of its turkey products was in March 2019 when it recalled over 78,000 pounds of raw ground turkey because of possible contamination with Salmonella Schwarzengrund. That recall happened after five people in two states got sick after eating the turkey.
What is the role of the FSIS?
The FSIS is an arm of the USDA that's responsible for ensuring food safety in the U.S.
“Every one of our 8,700 team members plays an important part in protecting the public, no matter their location, work environment or duties. I am proud of the dedication and commitment our team shows, rising to the challenge each and every day,” said FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker on the FSIS website.
The FSIS routinely checks to verify that companies are notifying consumers of recalls and the steps needed to get recalled products off the shelf. Recall alerts can be found on the FSIS website.
Consumers who need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, can contact the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System. The online system is available 24 hours a day.
