46 tons of Lean Cuisine meals recalled after complaints of plastic pieces

Forty-six tons of Lean Cuisine baked-chicken meals are being recalled after consumers complained about plastic in the products sold nationwide.

Approximately 92,206 pounds of the meals could be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of hard white plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Saturday.

The problem came to light the prior day after five complaints about the packaged meals manufactured on September 2 by Nestle, which believes the plastic pieces are from a plastic conveyor belt that broke while producing mashed potatoes in the meals.

The recalled meals involve 8 5/8-ounce (244 grams) carton trays of Lean Cuisine baked chicken with “white meat chicken with stuffing, red skin mashed potatoes & gravy.” The products contain the lot code 0246595911 and a “best before” date of October 2021.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-9018” on the side of the case near the lot number.

The FSIS has not received any reports of injury or illness from consumption of the recalled products, and has advised those concerned to contact a health provider. The agency cautions that the recalled products might be sitting in consumers’ freezers.

These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, the agency added.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Nestle Prepared Foods at (800) 993-8625.