Recalled Hot Pockets May Contain Glass, Plastic, Feds Warn In New Recall

More than 750,000 pounds of Hot Pocket frozen sandwiches may contain small pieces of glass, plastic or other foreign material which entered the food during the manufacturing process, posing a potential laceration and choking hazard for consumers.

The  U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Nestle has recalled Hot Pockets on January 15, following at least four consumer complaints about glass or hard chunks of plastic found inside of the meals, resulting in at least one oral injury.

The recall includes approximately 762,615 pounds of Pepperoni Hot Pockets packaged in 54 ounce carton packages, which contain 12 sandwiches each. The frozen hot pockets contain a “BEST BEFORE FEB 2022” date and lot codes 0318544624, 0319544614, 0320544614, and 0321544614. Recalled packages are also marked with establishment number “EST. 7721A” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Nestlé Prepared Foods, of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, indicates the recalled pepperoni hot pockets were produced from November 13, 2020 through November 16, 2020 and sold to distributors and grocery retailers nationwide.

FSIS officials announced that due to the recalled hot pockets having a 14 month shelf life, consumers are being encouraged to check their freezers and remove the impacted items. Customers are instructed to stop consuming the recalled Hot Pocket products immediately to prevent choking and laceration hazards.

The hot pockets recall has been categorized as Class I, indicating there is a reasonable probability the use of the recalled products will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

To date, FSIS officials are still gathering a comprehensive list of retail location where the Hot Pockets were distributed, and announced that information will be posted on the FSIS website when available.

Customers with recalled products are being asked to either discard them or return the remaining contents to their place of purchase. For additional questions or concerns regarding the recall, customers may contact Nestlé consumer services at (800) 350-5016.

This latest recall comes just a few weeks after Nestlé issued a Lean Cuisine baked chicken meal Class I recall after receiving several consumer complaints indicating large white pieces of plastic were found inside of certain white meat chicken with stuffing meals.

An investigation determined one of the conveyor belts used during the production of the mashed potatoes had broken, potentially allowing varying sizes of hard white plastic to enter the products.