The manufacturer, Rich Product Corporation, made the decision to recall its quarter Sheet Vanilla Flavoured Pre-Soaked Sponge Cake, after a change in the type of resin used in the packaging left products littered with bits of plastic.
According to the statement, published on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)website, there have been no reports of injuries in relation to the affected product and the recall was issued on a precautionary basis.
A company investigation found that the defective packaging was caused after the producer made a change to its development routine.
Quarantined and destroyed
“Upon investigation, Rich’s discovered the problem was caused by a change in the resin used by the supplier of the plastic packaging. Rich’s was not made aware of this change,” said the statement.
“The company is working closely with the supplier to ensure that all defective packaging is removed from distribution and that all monitoring systems are in place to eliminate the potential for this problem occurring again in the future.”
“Rich’s has already notified all of its distributors and customers who have received the product in question, and has directed them to remove and destroy the affected product. All other affected product under Rich’s control has been quarantined and will be destroyed.”
The remaining products, which were produced in Mexico and imported into the US, have been quarantined by the company and destroyed, the statement added.
Previous incidents
Fragments of contaminants such as metal, rubber and plastic, which in this case ranged from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch in size, have been found in food products on previous occasions.
FoodQualityNews.com reported last week how French food processor William Saurin was forced to defend the safety of its products after a box cutting blade was found in tin of beef bourguignon.
This alert followed a Food Safety Authority Ireland (FSAI) alert on the presence of rubber pieces in loaves of bread sold at Aldi in the country, late last year.