More than 760,000 pounds of Hot Pockets recalled

[NEW YORK] Nestle Prepared Foods has recalled more than 700,000 pounds of frozen pepperoni Hot Pockets that may contain pieces of glass and hard plastic, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Friday.

The recall was issued after Nestle received four separate consumer complaints of "extraneous materials" in pepperoni Hot Pockets, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

The company said in a news release Friday that contaminated products "could pose a choking or laceration risk and should not be consumed." One consumer reported a "minor oral injury associated with consumption of this product," but there had been no other reports of injury or illness, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

The recall includes approximately 762,615 pounds of pepperoni Hot Pockets that were packed in 54-ounce cartons containing 12 Hot Pockets with an expiration date of February 2022. The label reads "Nestle Hot Pockets Brand Sandwiches: Premium Pepperoni Made With Pork, Chicken & Beef Pizza Garlic Buttery Crust." The recalled Hot Pockets were produced from Nov 13 to Nov 16 and shipped to stores across the country, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

"The quality, safety and integrity of Nestle USA and Hot Pockets products remain our No 1 priority," Nestle said. "We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this action represents to both our consumers and retail customers." Nestle did not immediately respond to additional inquiries.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Hot Pocket recall was considered Class 1, a high-health risk "where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death." The service urged consumers to throw away or return the product.

Nestle acquired Chef America, which produced the top-selling Hot Pockets and Toaster Pizza snacks for the microwave, for US$2.6 billion in 2002.

NYTIMES