A massive recall has been issued for thousands of frozen hash browns after plastic pieces were found in the breakfast favorite.
The US Food and Drug Administration said that 34,801 cases of Lamb Weston oval-shaped frozen hash browns have been affected by the recall, adding that the packages were distributed in the US and around several other countries.
The cases were shipped out in cases of six 3.5-pound packages to Arizona and Hawaii, and sent overseas to Japan, Kuwait, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.
In total, the FDA said that over 730,000 pounds of frozen hash browns may have plastic pieces in them, measuring anywhere from one to eight millimeters – ranging from the size of a grain of sand to the size of pencil eraser.
The widespread recall includes cases with the item number M7204 and a global trade item number (GTIN) of 10044979923813, item number M0053 and a GTIN of 50195500004896, item number M7414 and GTIN 10044979923820, and item number M7422 and GTIN 10044979922687.
The FDA designated the health warning as a Class II recall on Friday, meaning that the plastic pieces could cause physical harm and short-term medical problems if ingested.
If someone were to swallow the largest pieces of plastic lodged in these breakfast patties, they could choke or potentially suffer internal injuries if the pieces are sharp or jagged.
However, Lamb Weston told DailyMail.com Monday that they are confident the affected products have not reached customers and does not pose a threat to the public.
The FDA recall of Lamb Weston’s hash browns affects over 730,000 pounds of frozen potato products, which were sent to 2 states and 4 countries outside the US
The plastic pieces range in size from one to eight millimeters, making the largest pieces as big as a pea or pencil eraser
Lamb Weston supplies restaurants, retailers, and food service distributors in over 100 countries with frozen potato products.
They’re North America’s largest frozen potato product manufacturer and also one of the largest suppliers for fast food titan McDonald’s.
In statement addressing the recall, a Lamb Weston spokesperson said: ‘There is no product at the consumer level currently; therefore, there is no risk to consumers.’
‘Lamb Weston initiated the recall in an abundance of caution after potential foreign material was identified through X-ray testing, part of our enhanced food safety and quality efforts,’ the spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
‘At the time, the majority of product was still in Lamb Weston’s control and distributors have already confirmed compliance with the recall order,’ they added.
In 2024, shipments to McDonald’s accounted for approximately 14 percent of Lamb Weston’s sales – making the fast food chain their biggest customer.
It’s unknown if any of the contaminated hash brown cases were shipped to McDonald’s restaurants in Arizona and Hawaii, but the potato supplier noted that all of their clients were informed about the recall.
The Idaho-based frozen foods company has already been having difficulties with their biggest client over the last year.
In October 2024, Lamb Weston closed their production plant in Connell, Washington and laid off four percent of their workforce because of a reported drop in the demand for large orders of French fries.
While McDonald’s may be famous for their fries, the nationwide rise in food prices forced the fast food giant to introduce cheaper meal options, many of which included a small fry instead of a large or medium.
Lamb Weston president and CEO Thomas Werner said in October: ‘Many of these promotional meal deals have consumers trading down from a medium fry to a small fry.’
‘Consumers trading down in serving size acts as a partial headwinds for our volumes,’ he added, noting that Lamb Weston expected the demand for their frozen potato products to remain weaker than usual in 2025.
The FDA designated the health warning as a Class II recall on Friday, meaning that the plastic pieces could cause physical harm if ingested
Lamb Weston’s clients also reportedly include fast food giants Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s – with the company primarily sending fries to these chains.
This isn’t the first major recall involving Lamb Weston. In 2022, over one million pounds of their Alexia Organic seasoned hash browns were recalled due to a listeria contamination.
That FDA warning reached a Class I recall, meaning that people eating the contaminated hashed browns could have potentially died from the infection.
Those potatoes were also sold nationwide in the US and throughout East Asia and the Middle East.
The company also had problems with their hash browns in 2018 and 2019. Both recalls involved the same issue plaguing Lamb Weston now – foreign objects in the food.
During the 2018 recall, over 8,000 cases of the firm’s hash brown patties had to be pulled due to fragments of hard, clear plastic in the potatoes.
Along with concerns about Lamb Weston’s frozen potato products, a bombshell interview with the company’s employees revealed that many also have fears for their own safety on the job.
Speaking with non-profit news media organization More Perfect Union in 2022, several Lamb Weston whistleblowers accused the company of extremely harsh working conditions which led to severe injuries.
One employee claimed the demanding schedule, including multiple 12-hour shifts and scheduled overtime days, led to him suffering a stroke.
Lamb Weston worker Guadalupe Wilcox said: ‘I do fear for my safety at work.’
‘If I get sick, I get attitude. If I get hurt, I get punished,’ she added.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .