Labeling error leads to recall of 96,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer Wieners

A labeling error forced Kraft Foods Group to recall 96,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer Classic Wieners last month. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food Safety Inspection Service confirmed the issue and released a national recall statement.

The affected products are labeled as Classic Wieners but are in fact packed with Classic Cheese Dogs. The problem was reported by customers on April 18, and Kraft Foods acted swiftly to address the issue. 

“The product labels are incorrect, as they do not reflect the ingredients associated with the pasteurized cheese in the cheese dogs,” the recall statement read. “The products were formulated with milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.”

The incorrect product labeling is the only error, the cheese dog products themselves are not contaminated in any way. Fortunately, there have been no reported adverse reactions caused by the mislabeled product. 

Kraft announced that approximately 8,000 cases have been isolated so far and taken off the shelves. The affected products were Classic Wieners Made with Turkey & Chicken, Pork Added, sold in 16-ounce individual consumer packages and marked with a “USE BY” date of June 16, 2014 and Classic Cheese Dogs Made with Turkey & Chicken, Pork Added, and Pasteurized Cheese Product, sold in 16-ounce packages and marked with a “USE BY” date of June 16, 2014.

The company has been incredibly fortunate that no one with a dairy sensitivity or allergy mistakenly purchased the product. The importance of allergen labeling is taken very seriously by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food Safety Inspection Service, who praised Kraft’s quick response to the situation. 

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