Biting into the crispy little potato pillows known as tater tots is one of life’s simple pleasures—for both kids and kids at heart. But two recent warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding “clear hard plastic fragments” might give you some pause the next time you’re debating whether to go for the tots or fries…especially since some recognizable brands in the potato space are involved.
Per a January 7 FDA enforcement report, the first of two recalls comes from McCain Foods, affecting more than 38,000 cases of tots labeled under the brands of Ore-Ida and Sysco. McCain Foods’ website confirms the potato-focused prominence of the company, stating that “1 in 4 fries in the world is a McCain Foods fry.” The recall, currently listed as “ongoing,” was put in motion due to “clear hard plastic fragments.” In total, 21,256 cases of Ore-Ida and 17,597 cases of Sysco Imperial products are listed.
In a coincidental turn of events, another tater tot recall with a similar plastic fragment concern has just come to a close. Traditional Reduced Sodium Tater Gems from JR Simplot Company were originally recalled back in November due to “pieces of semi-rigid plastic embedded in the recalled Tater Gems product,” according to a recent FDA report. The recall was later classified as a Class II recall on December 8, before being terminated on January 9—an unusually speedy turnaround for a recall.
The FDA included the following product details for each recall:
Ore-Ida Tater Tots shaped potatoes
- Item number: OIF00215A
- Frozen potato product is packaged in clear, unlabeled poly bag per case
- Net weight: 30 pounds (lbs.)
- UPC: 1 00 72714 00215 8.
- Batch codes: 1005479808, 1005477924, 1005478883, 1005480444, 1005480875, 1005481627, 1005481770
- Production dates: E 20271009, E 20271010, E 20271011, E 20271012, E 20271013, E 20271014
- Distributed by McCain Foodservice Solutions
Sysco Imperial Potato Tater Barrel
- Item number: 1000006067
- Frozen potato product is packaged in 6/5 lb. clear, unlabeled poly bags per case
- UPC: 1 07 34730 62740 0
- Batch codes: 1005482717, 1005483735, 1005484702, 1005485462, 1005485660
- Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX. Product of U.S.A.
Simplot Traditional Reduced Sodium Tater Gems
- Formed frozen potatoes
- 6/5lb bags per case, foodservice item
- Master case UPC: 100 71179 00418 9
- Lot Code: 087 FEB 16 25 1 Lot Interpretation: 087 – Production Facility FEB – Production Month 16 – Production Date 25 – Production Year 1 Line of Production
- Distributed by Simplot Global Food, LLC, P.O. Box 9386, Boise, ID 83707
The McCain Foods recall involving Ore-Ida and Sysco products was initiated on December 3 and designated a Class II recall on January 9. It affects tater tots distributed across 26 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The Simplot recall affected 7,035 cases, featuring six 5-pound bags per case. Those products were distributed across nine states—bringing the total number of states to 35 total when taking into account both sets of recalls: Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
A Class II recall signifies an event in which exposure to the recalled product could cause temporary adverse health effects, though the likelihood of that is low.
The Healthy reached out to both JR Simplot and McCain Foods, but did not receive a response as of press time. Given the packaging quantities and the distribution companies, it seems likely that the tater tots were not distributed directly to consumers, but rather to foodservice operations in bulk.
