Nestle Recall: Frozen Foods May Contain Glass

A Nestle recall, which affects numerous products, was announced by the United States Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. Although there are no reports of injury, Nestle confirmed some of their frozen food products may contain fragments of glass.

The FDA reports the investigation was initiated after customers reported finding glass in a variety of products. Company officials are unsure where the glass originated. However, the complaints were confined to products containing spinach.

Nestle USA recalls nearly 3 million products. DETAILS on the recall: https://t.co/O6ntiCbvPO pic.twitter.com/uSx6y5JH8V

— WHIOTV (@whiotv) March 11, 2016

According to the FDA, the Nestle recall includes the following products:

• DiGiorno Thin & Crispy Spinach and Garlic Pizza with the UPC code 7192145143
• DiGiorno Rising Crust Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with the UPC code 7192100335
• DiGiorno pizzeria Thin Crust Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with the UPC code 7192158570
• DiGiorno pizzeria Tuscan-style Chicken Pizza with the UPC code 7192196236
• Lean Cuisine Spinach and Mushroom Pizza with the UPC code 13800135209
• Lean Cuisine Spinach Artichoke Ravioli with the UPC code 13800558060
• Lean Cuisine Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with the UPC code 1380093052
• Lean Cuisine Spinach, Artichoke & Chicken Panini with the UPC code 13800553263
• Lean Cuisine Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli with the UPC code 13800583581
• Stouffer’s Vegetable Lasagna (10 oz., 37 oz., and 96 oz.) with the UPC codes 13800190024, 13800103239, and 13800555106
• Stouffer’s Spinach Soufflé with the UPC code 13800105851
• Stouffer’s Chicken Lasagna (96oz) with the UPC code 13800030528

Customers who already purchased the recalled products are urged to throw them away or return them to the store for a full refund. Although there are no reported injuries at this time, customers are warned against consuming the recalled Nestle products.

Questions about the Nestle recall should be directed to Nestle customer service at 1-800-681-1676.

A vast majority of food processing companies follow strict guidelines to prevent glass and brittle plastic from contaminating food products. Food Safety Magazine provides a list of general guidelines, which are commonly implemented at food processing plants.

“There shall be no glass or ceramics carried into or used in the food processing area or warehouse… Glass and ceramics shall be confined to the offices and break area. Watches must be removed before entering the plant. Eyeglass lenses shall be manufactured from shatterproof materials… windows in production or warehouse areas must be shatterproof or coated/covered with plastic to contain breakage. Light fixtures in processing areas should be properly shielded.”

Unfortunately, these measures simply reduce the possibility of food products becoming contaminated with glass or brittle plastic. There is no way to eliminate the possibility by 100 percent.

In addition to implementing guidelines to prevent glass and brittle plastic from entering food processing areas, a vast majority of food processing plants have a protocol for reporting accidents which may cause contamination.

Amid the Nestle recall, company officials are investigating the origin of the broken glass and how it was introduced into the frozen food products.

Although nobody was injured by the broken glass, Nestle announced issued the recall voluntarily to prevent any possible injury in the future. The company also apologized for any inconvenience and assured customers that they are fully cooperating with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nestle was founded by pharmacist Henri Nestlé in 1867. As discussed on the company website, the company’s debut product was an infant formula, which was made with cow’s milk, flour, and sugar. However, the company is perhaps best known for their chocolate milk products, which were not manufactured and sold until 1904.

Glass pieces found in Nestle products leads to recall https://t.co/DRUpSAsGCH pic.twitter.com/KpR2NMxHJz

— WPTZ (@WPTZ) March 11, 2016

Over the last 150 years, the company expanded to include more than 2,000 brands, which include beverages, dry goods, health and beauty products, pet products, and refrigerated and frozen items.

The Nestle recall has been initiated as a precaution. However, anyone who consumes the products, and believes they were injured, should seek immediate medical attention.

[Image via Foodio/Shutterstock]