Junk food company Bimbo Bakeries recalls products due to plastic contamination

Friday, September 16, 2016 by: Samantha Debbie
Tags: recalls, junk food, plastic bits

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(NaturalNews) Consumers in 30 U.S. states may have been exposed to potentially dangerous pieces of plastic found in a variety of junk food products made by Bimbo Bakeries, the American corporate arm of the Mexican multinational bakery product manufacturing company Grupo Bimbo.

The company issued a vast recall Wednesday of nearly 50,000 boxes of Little Bites fudge brownies, chocolate chip muffins and variety packs.

The announcement was made after customers began complaining about small pieces of plastic they found while eating the junk food. At least one injury has been reported.

Bimbo Bakeries is warning customers that the small pieces of plastic in the products may cause a "choking and/or cutting hazard," according to CNN Money.

Consumers warned about choking and cutting hazard from food laced with pieces of plastic

Brownies and chocolate chip muffin packages with a "best by" date of October 8 are reportedly affected. Variety packs with a "best by" date of September 24 are also affected.

The contaminated food products were shipped to retailers in 30 U.S. states over the last two weeks. The company believes the contamination occurred as a result of a problem with manufacturing equipment.

The mistake originated during a "manufacturing failure at a contract manufacturer's bakery in Illinois," reports confirm.

Headquartered in Horsham Township, Pennsylvania, Bimbo Bakeries is the largest bakery company in the U.S.

Consumers may find a list of the recalled products and their UPC codes here.

If you were unlucky enough to purchase one of the recalled products, you can get your money back by returning to merchant you bought it from. More information is available by calling 1-800-984-0989.

Product recalls affect all types of food

It's important to note food recalls aren't always limited to processed foods. For example, Country Fresh recently recalled 30,000 cases of fresh vegetable products as a result of listeria contamination.

The products include sliced mushrooms, onions and pico de gallo sold at Walmart and other retailers. The products in question include ones that have a "best by" date ranging between August 7 and 19.

"The recall affects vegetable products wrapped in clear plastic under the Country Fresh label or store-branded label and shipped to Walmart, Harris Teeter, Winn Dixie, Publix, QuikTrip, Bi-Lo, Fresh Point and The Spinx Company stores in nine states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia)," USA Today reports.

Listeria is a food-borne disease caused by bacteria that live in soil and water and is transported by animals that don't appear ill, contaminating meat and dairy products, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Listeria outbreak threatens pregnant woman and her child

The bacteria are particularly harmful to pregnant women and those with a weak immune system. A listeria outbreak that originated from contaminated cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farm in Holly, Colorado nearly cost one mother her child.

Michelle Wakley-Paciorek never thought she would be harming her unborn child by snacking on healthy fruits and vegetables. However, unsafe operations at Jensen Farms caused her to give birth prematurely to her infant daughter.

One day while she and her 4-year-old daughter were getting pedicures, Wakley-Paciorek suddenly went into labor, giving birth to Kendall three months prematurely," Natural News reported.

"[T]he doctors warned her parents about all sorts of dire medical complications that she could develop: blindness, deafness, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and others."

The infant, struggling to survive, was one of three newborns diagnosed with listeriosis during the time of the outbreak.

"A week before she was born, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a voluntary recall of the entire crop of fresh, whole cantaloupe from Jensen Farms," reports Food Safety News.

Fortunately her daughter recovered, and though smaller than other children her age, is functioning normally.

To prevent food-borne illness, be sure to thoroughly wash raw fruits and veggies. If pregnant, it's best to avoid under-cooked meat, raw fish and unpasteurized juices.

Sources:

GlobeNewswire.com

Money.CNN.com

BimboBakeriesUSA.com

NaturalNews.com

USAToday.com