72,300 Campbell's Soup Cans Recalled

Campbell Soup Company has recalled approximately 72,300 cans of potato with cheddar and bacon soup because of hard plastic pieces contained in them. Some minor injuries have been reported. Customers are urged not to eat the soup and return it instead. The recall only applies to soup with a particular date code which was distributed in some states.

According to a press release which appeared on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration web site on Friday, the recall was issued voluntarily Thursdayand applies to 18.8 ounce cans of "Campbell's Chunky Baked Potato with Cheddar & Bacon Bits." The hard plastic pieces contained in the soup are a choking hazard and can cause injury if swallowed; three people have had minor mouth injuries caused by the recalled soup and reported them.

The product was distributed in the following twenty-four states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, N. Dakota, Oklahoma, S. Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. The affected cans have a date/time code of "JUL 08 2009 07097". Customers are requested not to eat the product, and return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund or exchange. If they have additional questions, Campbell Soup Company can be contacted by telephone at 888-453-3868.

The Campbell's web site provides a picture of the soup label and what the date code looks like. It indicates that no other Campbell's products are involved in the recall. The Campbell's "About Us" page indicates that the company was formed in 1869 by a fruit merchant and an icebox manufacturer. Tomato soup was among the first flavors to be introduced. Their many products are now sold in countries around the world. Non-soup products made by Campbell's include cookies, breads, pasta, juice, and other items sold under various brand names.

According to the FDA web site, the Food and Drug Administration was created in 1930, although it existed under various other names in the past. It is currently part of the Department of Health and Human Services, as it has been since 1980. The FDA is located in the eastern state of Maryland. In addition to food and drugs, it regulates such items as cosmetics, electronics which emit radiation, veterinary products, and medical devices. However, it is not in charge of regulating alcoholic beverages, poultry, or meat.

Sources:

1. Food & Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/campbell10_07.html, http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpview.html
2. Campbell Soup Company, http://www.campbellsoup.com/consumeralert.aspx, http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/history.asp