Kraft Food (KRFT, Financial) has issued a recall of 8,000 cases of American Single Cheese. This precautionary measure comes after a mistake from one of Kraft's suppliers. The company has been regularly getting entangled in such incidents that threatens its image. What played the spoil sport this time? Let’s take a glimpse.
What actually happened
The supplier failed to add an essential ingredient, and also failed to maintain the standard temperature that would keep the cheese fresh. This mistake would cause untimely spoiling of cheese and lead to an outbreak of various types of illness. The company hasn’t received any complaint from customers yet. So the moment Kraft learned about the slip, it immediately took action and decided to recall the cheese before any such incident occurs.
The affected product is limited to four varieties of ‘Kraft American Singles’ which come in 12, 16 and 24-ounce sizes. The affected products were produced in Springfield, Missouri. Kraft Food has declared to their customers that if anyone has purchased one from the packs from the affected batch, they can exchange it for a new and fresh pack, or they can even opt to get their money back in exchange. To make amends, the company has also provided a hotline number where consumers can call and clear out any doubts they have regarding the cheese.
Are recalls becoming too regular with Kraft?
The last incident Kraft Food had faced was in April when it recalled 96,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer Wiener Classic Cheese. This recall was done because of incorrect labeling and classification on the packages. The ingredients relating to pasteurized cheese were not mentioned and the correct ingredients were not labeled on the product.
This isn’t over yet. Early during the year, Kraft Food recalled 260 cases of ‘Velveeta Original pasteurized Recipe Cheese’ because they lacked adequate preservative for storage in the products. The product spoil before the printed expiration date. The packages were sent to three Walmart (WMT, Financial) outlets and were further headed to 12 states. The recall alerted customers and none were harmed because of the cheese. In January, they recalled 1.77 million pounds ‘Kraft Velveeta Cheesy Skillet’ because they contained uncertain ingredients.
Summing up
Kraft Food is one of North America’s largest packaged food and beverage company. Their annual turnover is more than $18 billion. Kraft Food is the leading supplier of beverages, refrigerated meals, grocery and cheese. The company includes brands like Velveeta, Oscar Mayer, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Philadelphia and Planters. The recall was a safety measure to prevent anyone from falling ill because of the cheese. But at the same time, it also highlights the company’s mismanagement and supply chain issues. Kraft Food is a reputed brand and its cheese is famous all over the world, and such repeated recalls raise questions regarding the credibility of the product. It’s essential for the company to take steps to minimize such recalls and offer the best of what is expected of it.
