Recalls hit Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Trader Joe’s raw walnuts

Numerous packages of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Trader Joe’s walnuts were recalled Tuesday.

Kraft Foods is recalling 242,000 cases of the Original flavor of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner because some boxes may contain small pieces of metal, according to a statement from the company.

“We believe a piece of stainless steel got wedged in a metal piece of equipment, which may have generated friction that resulted in small pieces of metal potentially falling into the product,” Kraft spokeswoman Joyce Hodel said in an email.

According to the company, the recall affects 7.25-ounce boxes of the Original flavor that have best-by dates of Sept. 18 through Oct. 11, 2015. The code “C2” appears directly below the date on each affected box, Kraft said.

Kraft said it shipped the product throughout the United States and to Caribbean and South American countries but not to Canada.

So far the company has received eight complaints of metal pieces, Hodel said. No injuries have been reported, the company statement said.

“We deeply apologize to the consumers we have disappointed,” Hodel said.

The other recall was issued by Trader Joe’s and pertains to its raw walnuts, which may be contaminated with Salmonella, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The affected Trader Joe’s products include certain lots of Raw California Walnut Pieces, Raw California Walnut Halves & Pieces, Raw California Walnut Baking Pieces and Raw California Premium Walnut Halves. Each of those affected products come in 16-ounce packages with December 2015 best-by dates.

Also affected are certain 12-ounce packages of Trader Joe’s Organic Raw Walnut Halves & Pieces with best-by dates from Oct. 15 through Dec. 1, 2015. Specific lot numbers can be found online.

The recall, which applies nationwide, was announced after routine testing by an FDA contractor found salmonella in certain packages of raw Trader Joe’s walnuts, according to the FDA.

There have been no reports of illnesses related to the recalled products, Trader Joe’s said.

Salmonella is a food-borne bacterium that causes about 1.2 million illnesses in the U.S. and 450 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those infected develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. It poses particular risk to children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Trader Joe’s pulled the products from its shelves and will stop selling them while the possible contamination is investigated, according to the FDA.

The company did not immediately return requests for additional details.

None of the recalled products should be eaten. Customers can return them to stores for a full refund, Kraft and Trader Joe’s said.

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