Kraft recalls more than 6 million boxes of macaroni and cheese


Kraft is voluntarily recalling thousands of cases of its original-flavored macaroni and cheese due to a concern that some boxes may contain pieces of metal, the company announced Tuesday.

According to Kraft, eight consumer complaints have been logged about the product, but there have been no reported injuries. “We deeply regret this situation and apologize to any consumers we have disappointed,” Kraft said in a statement.

The recall affects 242,000 cases of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner that have been distributed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and some South American nations. The Associated Press reported that the recall covers about 6.5 million boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, one of the Kraft Foods Group’s signature brands.

Consumers are warned not to prepare and eat macaroni that comes in the original flavor, 7.25-ounce sized box sizes carrying a “best when used by” date ranging between Sept. 18 to Oct. 11 and a code “C2” below the expiration dates. The code shows the specific factory line where the potentially tainted boxes were produced.

Some of the dinners also come in packs containing multiple boxes made at different facilities. Consumers should check the individual boxes, and return potentially tainted boxes to stores for an exchange or refund, according to Kraft.

The item isn’t on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of recalls and food safety alerts. The agency did not immediately respond with a comment.

In August 2014, Kraft voluntarily recalled more than 7,000 cases of its American Singles cheese slices after a supplier didn’t properly store an ingredient. And in September 2011, Reuters noted, Kraft recalled more than 135,000 cases of single-serve Velveeta Shells & Cheese because of wire bristle pieces in some packages.

Kraft, which launched its macaroni and cheese product in 1937, has dominated the market for decades. Recently, smaller companies have begun competing with mac and cheese made with more natural ingredients. Still, Kraft has said it generates more than $500 million in annual sales of macaroni and cheese products, Reuters has reported.

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