Nearly 23,000 Pounds of Johnsonville Bratwurst Recalled Over Possible Plastic Contamination

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Published: 4/8/2025, 11:31:57 PM EDT
Nearly 23,000 Pounds of Johnsonville Bratwurst Recalled Over Possible Plastic Contamination
A supplied image of 19-oz. packages of Johnsonville Brats Cheddar Bratwurst of which 23,000 pounds worth were recalled after two consumers reported finding hard plastic inside the sausages. (Courtesy FSIS)

Sausage manufacturer Johnsonville recalled nearly 23,000 pounds of its cheddar-flavored bratwurst after customers reported finding plastic in the product, the Department of Agriculture said.

The recall involves 22,672 pounds of cheddar-flavored bratwurst, which was manufactured on Feb. 5 and shipped to 10 U.S. states.

The recalled product is 19-oz. sealed firm tray packages, each containing five pieces of “Johnsonville BRATS CHEDDAR Bratwurst.”

The product subject to recall bears establishment number “Est. 1647” on the front of the label, as well as the package code B9FOD.

The recalled packages were sold in stores in Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Johnsonville, a family-owned business whose origins trace back to a 1940s butcher shop, manufactures a variety of all-natural sausages.

The company notified the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the Department of Agriculture after they had received two complaints from customers who reported finding hard plastic material in their bratwurst.

So far no reports of injuries have been confirmed, the FSIS said in a public announcement, but the agency advised people concerned about an injury to contact a healthcare provider.

“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,” the FSIS said in its announcement.

FSIS told consumers to discard the product or return it to the place of purchase.

The recall was rated as Class I, signifying that the recalled product poses a high or medium health risk.

The Department of Agriculture defines Class I as “a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

Consumers with questions about the current recall may contact Consumer Relations coordinator Amanda Fritsch by phone at 888-556-2728 or via email at [email protected].
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to [email protected]. The FSIS recall number is 011-2025.

Processed Meat Recalls

This is the second recall announced through the FSIS this month involving processed meats.
On April 2, Salt-Lake City-based Heartside Food Solutions recalled nearly half a million pounds of ready-to-eat sausage and bacon breakfast sandwich products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen—the toasts in the sandwiches containing sesame flour.

The sandwiches were shipped to Army & Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES) locations across the US. There were no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of the products.