Sausages recalled due to possible contamination with ‘hard plastic’

The Johnsonville cheddar bratwursts were sold at retailers in 10 states

A popular brand of sausages has been recalled due to a potential plastic contamination.

Johnsonville, LLC is recalling approximately 22,672 pounds of its cheddar bratwurst product, according to an announcement shared by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Saturday.

The recall was issued because the sausages may have been contaminated “with foreign material, specifically hard plastic.”

Each of the tray packages contains five pieces of “Johnsonville BRATS CHEDDAR Bratwurst” and the package code B9FOD. The recalled product has the establishment number “Est. 1647” on the front of the label. They were first produced on February 5, 2025.

The affected sausages were sent to various retailers in 10 states: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The recall was initiated after Johnsonville, LLC received complaints from two different customers reporting hard plastic found in their bratwurst. At the time of writing, there have been no reports of injuries due to the consumption of the sausage.

The FSIS initiated the recall after two customers said they found hard plastic in the bratwurst (Johnsonville, LLC)

FSIS is urging consumers not to eat these products and to throw them away immediately. Consumers can also return the recalled product to the store they bought it from.

The recall comes only a few days after Walker’s Wine Juice recalled its pumpkin juice because it may contain botulism, which is a “potentially fatal form of food poisoning.” The juice was sold at retailers in 12 states.

According to a report from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), symptoms of botulism include general weakness, dizziness, double-vision, trouble with speaking or swallowing, difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation.

The recall was issued after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors discovered the juice’s pH was “too high to be processed per Walker’s ‘hot fill’ schedule process.”

“As a result, it was determined that no adequate kill step was used to address the possibility of microbiological hazards,” the FDA’s release read.

While it was not determined how many containers of pumpkin juice were recalled, the FDA clarified that it applies to all lots of Walker’s Wine Juice’s 2.5-gallon bag in a box and 5-gallon hot pack labeled “pumpkin” in addition to their 30-, 60-, and 275-gallon bulk containers also labeled “pumpkin.”

Also this month, Trader Joe’s issued a recall on its Hot Honey Mustard Dressing due to a “labeling error.” The FDA stated that dressing bottles with a Use By Date of May 27, 2025, were incorrectly labeled with a nutrition sticker that did not accurately include an allergy warning for peanuts, soy, sesame, or wheat.