Hormel Food
In this photo, cans of Spam meat made by the Hormel Foods Corporation are pictured in Silver Spring, Maryland, July 5, 2012. Getty Images/ JEWEL SAMAD

The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Saturday Hormel Foods Corp., a food processing company from Fremont, Nebraska, was recalling canned pork and chicken products that may be contaminated with foreign matter.

Approximately 228,614 pounds of the company’s products were believed to have been contaminated with unwanted particles, specifically pieces of metal.

The canned pork and chicken products that are being recalled, were manufactured between Feb. 8 and 10, and bear the establishment number “EST. 199N” on the bottom of the can. The items were shipped throughout the United States and to Guam.

The issues with the specific set of Hormel Foods products were initially drawn to FSIS’ attention after it received four consumer complaints about metal objects found in the canned products. The food safety agency was also made aware of reports of minor oral injuries linked to the consumption of the canned products.

The following are the details of the products subjected to recall:

“12-oz. metal cans containing ‘SPAM Classic’ with a ‘Best By’ February 2021 date and production codes: F020881, F020882, F020883, F020884, F020885, F020886, F020887, F020888 and F020889. These products were shipped throughout the United States.”

“12-oz. metal cans containing ‘Hormel Foods Black-Label Luncheon Loaf’ with a ‘Best By’ February 2021 date and production codes F02098 and F02108. These products were shipped to Guam only.”

FSIS urged consumers who have purchased products matching the description provided above not to consume them but throw away or return the canned goods to the place where they purchased them from.

The recent decision has been categorized as a “Class I” recall by FSIS, which is done in cases of “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 recall can contact Consumer Response, Hormel Foods, at (800) 523-4635.

The announcement came days after Hormel Foods reported having made record sales and profit in the second quarter. The Austin, Minnesota-based company’s profit rose about 12.5 percent to $237.4 million, or 44 cents a share, for the quarter, which was an almost 13 percent increase over the same period a year ago, on the back of a 6.5 percent rise in revenue.

Chief executive Jim Snee attributed the spike in its profits to the company’s recent acquisitions, like deli meat brands Fontanini and Columbus, which helped boost sales as it grappled with issues like national shortage of freight trucks and volatile hog prices.

A contracted manufacturer for Hormel Foods had to recall several of the company Muscle Milk products in 2016, due to a defect in packaging that could have led to product spoilage during transportation.

Shares of Hormel Foods rose 1.24 percent during Friday trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

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