On 21 April 2017, McCain Foods, USA announced they were recalling some of their hash browns due to "extraneous golf ball materials" found in some packages.
The company has issued a press release detailing the scope of the recall, which affects hash browns manufactured on 19 January 2017 that apparently harvested and packaged fragments of golf balls along with potatoes. Two brands of hash browns (Roundy's and Harris Teeter) were involved in the recall, and distribution spanned four retailers across seven states and the District of Columbia:
McCain Foods USA, Inc. announced [21 April 2017] it is voluntarily recalling retail, frozen hash brown products that may be contaminated with extraneous golf ball materials, that despite our stringent supply standards may have been inadvertently harvested with potatoes used to make this product. Consumption of these products may pose a choking hazard or other physical injury to the mouth.
The impacted products include the following: Roundy’s Brand, 2 lb. Bag of Frozen Southern Style Hash Browns (UPC 001115055019) and Harris Teeter Brand, 2 lb. Bag of Frozen Southern Style Hash Browns (UPC 007203649020).
The Roundy’s products were distributed at Marianos, Metro Market, and Pick ‘n Save supermarkets in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Harris Teeter products were distributed in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia and Maryland. Distribution occurred after the date of January 19, 2017. No other products under the respective brands are impacted by this recall.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a 21 April 2017 consumer alert, adding that there are no reports of injuries related to the products:
The products being recalled were manufactured on January 19, 2017. The production code date is B170119 and can be found on the back of the packaging. Any product with a different production code date is not impacted by this recall.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
There have been no reported injuries associated with the consumption of this product.
McCain Foods, USA said the company was "working cooperatively with the Food & Drug Administration and the respective supermarkets to ensure the affected products are removed from the marketplace."
Information about how the golf balls may have been "inadvertently harvested" was not provided.