Kraft foods
File photo of Kraft food products displayed on a shelf. Reuters

Kraft Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ:KRFT) is recalling some of its Kraft and Polly-O String Cheese and String Cheese Twists products because they may not keep fresh until the expiration dates listed on the packages.

The Northfield, Ill.-based company said the affected products all have expiration dates ranging from Oct. 25, 2013, through Feb. 11, 2014, and about 735,000 cases of the recalled products were shipped across the U.S. and were not distributed in Canada.

“These are natural cheeses that contain no added preservatives, and it’s not unusual for cheese to spoil over time,” the company said in a statement. “But in this situation, we saw spoilage occurring before the ‘Best When Used By’ date. We deeply regret if you have experienced any inconvenience due to our voluntary recall on October 25, 2013.”

Kraft initiated the recall after receiving several complaints from consumers about the premature spoilage of some of its string cheese products. The company said it halted the production and distribution of the affected food, produced in Campbell, NY, and has launched an investigation into the issue.

The company warned against consuming the recalled products and asked people to return them to the store where they purchased it for an exchange or full refund.