Kraft Heinz Recalls 83,000 Cases Of American Cheese Singles For Plastic Choking Hazard

Kraft Heinz is voluntarily recalling 83,000 cases of its individually wrapped Kraft Singles American cheese slices due to a "temporary issue" with one of its wrapping machines that potentially causes a choking hazard, according to a company press release. Kraft Heinz says it's a precaution because the error could lead to a thin strip of the removable plastic remaining on the cheese after it has been unwrapped.

If you recently bought a package of individually wrapped Kraft cheese slice, be sure to check to see if you have a recalled product before you make your next grilled cheese. The 16-ounce Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product that were impacted have a UPC of 0 2100061526 1, a best-by date between January 10, 2024, and January 24, 2024, and a manufacturing code containing an S and a 72. The 3-pound multipacks of the same product with a UPC of 0 2100060491 3 and a best-by date between January 9, 2024, and January 13 or 16, 2024 are also recalled. If your package of Kraft American cheese singles matches that information, you should avoid eating it due to the choking hazard. If your package doesn't match those codes, your pre-sliced cheese should be safe to eat.

If you do find that you purchased the recalled cheese slices, you can return the cheese to the store where you originally bought it for an exchange or a refund, according to Kraft Heinz. If you aren't sure if your cheese is affected, contact the company at 1-800-280-8252 Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. for assistance and reimbursement.

This isn't the first recall for Kraft Heinz in the last year, as it recalled 2,400 pounds of ham and cheese loaves back in December 2022. The current issue comes after the company redesigned its packaging in May 2023 following customer complaints of the plastic wrapper being too difficult to remove from the cheese slices. The new packaging is supposed to be easier to open and features a redesigned logo. Even so, this current recall was discovered after customer complaints of finding plastic wrappers stuck to their cheese slice, including six customers who allegedly choked or gagged due to the error.

Kraft Heinz says it has identified and fixed the faulty machine that wrapped the recalled slices. But just for extra precaution, thoroughly check any cheese slices after you unwrap them before you take a bite.