WASHINGTON, USA – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced an urgent recall of several batches of rice products from a well-known brand in the United States.
This comes after small stones were discovered in some rice packages, posing a potential health risk to consumers.
Affected products
The recall included the following types of rice: long grain white rice (batch codes 533ELGRV22, 534ALGRV22),
Also whole grain brown rice (lot codes 533ELGRV22, 534ALGRV22),
And the Long grain wild rice (lot codes 533ELGRV22, 534ALGRV22).
All affected products have an expiration date of August 2026.
The recalled products were sold at major retailers including: United Markets, Amazon, H-E-B, and Target.
Manufacturer statement
Ben’s Original, the brand’s owner, said in a statement: “We are committed to transparency and consumer trust,
We are taking immediate steps to remove affected products from the market and notify shoppers through all official channels.
The company confirmed that the stones are not caused by a manufacturing defect.
Rather, they are substances that occur naturally in some rice farms, and they are a problem that may also appear in frozen vegetables and some prepared foods.
Potential health risks
The presence of stones in rice can lead to oral injuries, including broken teeth or fillings, And cracked crowns, or wounds in the mouth and gums.
As well as problems in the digestive system when swallowing, such as esophageal rupture and the accompanying bleeding and pain.
Intestinal obstruction, which may require surgical intervention, and scratches or perforations in the intestine, which lead to internal bleeding and infection.
Official warning
To date, no cases of infection resulting from the consumption of these products have been recorded.
However, the company and health centers called on consumers to avoid consuming any product bearing the mentioned batch codes,
Contact customer service to get a refund or exchange the products.
This incident comes after previous recalls in the United States involving contaminated food products,
Or it contains unsafe substances such as cinnamon contaminated with a carcinogenic substance.
This recall reinforces the importance of tightening control over supply chains in the food industry to ensure public safety.
