Muffin Recall Update As FDA Sets Risk Level Over Metal Contamination

More than 1,000 L&B Beautiful Morning Glory Muffins products recalled earlier this year have been given a Class II risk definition by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The muffins, produced by Minnesota-based Lunds Mitchell, were found to contain metal. According to the FDA, “hard or sharp foreign objects in food may cause traumatic injury including laceration and perforation of tissues of the mouth, tongue, throat, stomach and intestine as well as damage to the teeth and gums.”

Under the FDA’s definition, a Class II recall is “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

Affected products, sold in packs of four and in Minnesota only, bear a lot code of 301355 and a UPC code of 18169-49025. In total, 1,029 cases have been recalled.

There are three levels of classification awarded to products recalled in conjunction with the FDA, with a Class II being the second most serious type of recall. Darin Detwiler, professor of food policy and corporate social responsibility at Northeastern University, told Newsweek: “While not as urgent as Class I recalls, Class II recalls should still be heeded, and the products should be returned or disposed of according to the instructions provided.”

A Class I recall is issued when there is a “reasonable probability” that the use of, or exposure to, a product could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.” A Class III is given when “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”

The presence of foreign objects in food items, such as small pieces of plastic or metal, accounted for 11.6 percent of recalls issued by U.S. health authorities—the FDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)—between 2020 and 2024, according to analysis by regulatory compliance company Traceone.

Traceone also unveiled that the number of food recalls issued by the FDA and the FSIS each year increased between 2020 and 2023, up from 454 to 547—an increase of more than 20 percent.

While not as common as other types of recalls, such as the presence of undeclared allergens or dangerous pathogens, there have been several recalls in recent months due to unwanted objects in food products. In July, Utah-based Casper’s Ice Cream Inc recalled thousands of tubs of one of its products after some were found to contain rubber fragments.

In the same month, H-E-B withdrew one of its potato salad products from shelves after hard plastics were found.