Food contamination stories are becoming so common these days that eating anything can be a cause for concern. The worst part is that when you open the internet, you find experts warning you not to consume this or that. Now, to eat or not to eat, that is the question!
Recently, the sausage company Johnsonville came under scrutiny as FSIS warned their cheddar bratwurst may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically hard plastic material. The company had to recall 22,672 pounds of the product after receiving complaints from two consumers about the same issue.
Wisconsin-based sausage company Johnsonville recalled almost 23K pounds of its cheddar bratwurst
Image credits: timolina / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The FSIS announced that the product may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically hard plastic, after complaints from 2 consumers
Just like always, the Wisconsin-based sausage company Johnsonville produced a batch of its cheddar bratwurst on February 5, 2025. However, trouble brewed after two consumers complained to the company that they had found plastic in their brats. Fortunately, nobody was injured, but the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) declared it a plastic hazard.
Here are the exact details of the product:
- Johnsonville cheddar bratwurst
- 19-ounce, 5-count packages
- Packaging code: B9FOD
- Establishment number reading: Est. 1647
It has been announced that the product may contain foreign material, specifically hard plastic. Therefore, about 22,672 pounds of this sausage is being recalled from 10 states, including Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin, where it was sent to retail stores.
Image credits: Marques Thomas / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
While the news has spread across the nation and the brats have been recalled, the FSIS has also expressed concern that folks who have already purchased it might still have the products in their freezers. Well, if you are one of them, be warned not to consume the sausages, and either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.
Of course, consuming plastic can be a choking hazard, but it has also been observed that there can be other problems like gastrointestinal issues, allergic reactions, or toxicity symptoms. The FSIS recall is marked as Class I, which, just as it does on the FDA's recall classification scale, indicates that the consumption of this product could cause serious health issues and even fatality.
They have alerted that anybody who has consumed the product and is concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider at the earliest!
Image credits: Kelsey Todd / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
People are strictly warned not to consume the 19-ounce, 5-count packages of the bratwurst produced on February 5, 2025
Although a popular company, this is not the first time that Johnsonville has been under the recall radar. Just last year, approximately 35,430 pounds of Johnsonville turkey kielbasa sausage was recalled as it faced contamination with foreign products, specifically pieces of rubber. The year before that, 42,000 pounds of its smoked sausage was recalled due to contamination with very thin strands of black plastic fibers.
Things even date back to 2019, when the company witnessed 2 foreign material recalls in January and May. It was observed that first, over 48,000 pounds of pork were recalled due to possible rubber contamination, while the second recalled more than 95,000 pounds of jalapeño smoked sausage because it potentially contained hard green plastic.
Image credits: Marc Newberry / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
While we can’t say for sure what went wrong with Johnsonville's cheddar bratwurst production, the common cause is generally faulty machinery or lack of maintenance, which can cause food contamination. After the news went viral, folks online were quite shocked that these problems keep resurfacing.
Since anger was running high, many stated that such companies should be held responsible for putting their health at risk. Some also suggested that buying from such big companies was not worth it; instead, buying local would actually be helpful and beneficial for everyone. Do you agree with them? What are your thoughts about the whole troubling issue? Let us know in the comments below!
Netizens were shocked by the news, and many said that the companies should be held responsible for putting their health at risk
