Craisins Recalled for Possible Metal Contamination

Ocean Spray is voluntarily recalling certain packages of its original flavor Craisins dried cranberries due to "the possible presence of very small hair-like metal fragments that are unlikely to cause consumer injury," according to a statement on the Ocean Spray website.

Affected products come in 5-, 10- and 48-ounce packages as well as bulk dried sweetened cranberries in 10-lb. packages, after finding hair-like metal fragments mixed in with the fruit. The company said it had not received any reports of injuries and that it issued the recall "out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our consumers." 

Most of the recalled product had been distributed in the Western states and not in Michigan, the company said.

"This is a very small recall," Ocean Spray posted on its website. "The sweetened dried cranberries associated with the recall represent less than ¼ of 1 percent of the total pounds we produce annually."

The metal fragments were caused by an equipment malfunction on a production line at one of Ocean Spray's cranberry-making facilities, MSNBC reported. The problem has been corrected, according to a company spokesman.

The following Ocean Spray Craisins original flavor dried cranberries are part of the recall, according to Ocean Spray: 

• 5 oz Craisins® UPC: 00293-000 
  Best By Dates (ONLY THESE DATES FOLLOWED BY THE LETTER “M” ARE AFFECTED): 
  Oct  27  2012 M

• 10 oz Craisins® UPC: 29456-000 and 29464-000 
  Best By Dates (ONLY THESE DATES FOLLOWED BY THE LETTER “M” ARE AFFECTED): 
  Oct 27  2012 M 
  Oct 28  2012 M 
  Oct 29  2012 M

• 48 oz Craisins® UPC: 00678-318 
  Best By Dates (ONLY THESE DATES FOLLOWED BY THE LETTER “M” ARE AFFECTED): 
  Oct 27  2012 M 
  Oct 28  2012 M 
  Nov  3  2012 M 
  Nov  4  2012 M 
  Nov  5  2012 M 
  Nov  6  2012 M 
  Nov  7  2012 M 
  Nov 10 2012 M 
  Nov 11 2012 M

Ocean Spray is urging customers who have purchased the recalled products to destroy the product, save the UPC label and best by date and contact the Ocean Spray Consumer Hotline at 800-662-3263 for a coupon replacement.