The manufacturer issued the recall on Monday September 14, after admitting some packs may contain “small pieces of metal due to a production fault”.
A spokesman for Premier Foods told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “After some maintenance there was a fault which occurred in a filler bowl on the production line and there was some rubbing against the metal bolts, and that is what created this issue.
“The company apologises to Bisto consumers for any inconvenience caused.”
The recall, issued as “a precautionary measure”, affected a single production batch from the firm’s factory in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
Single production batch
Affected by the recall was Bisto For Chicken Gravy Granules, with a product size of 170g, a ‘best before' end date of January 2017 and a batch code of L5208. The recall of Reduced Salt Bisto For Chicken Gravy Granules covered products of the same pack size, ‘best before date’ and batch code.
The products had thought to have been distributed to retailers nationwide.
Premier Foods pointed out the recall affected about 33,600 drums of Bisto For Chicken, compared with a total annual sales of about 11M drums.
Meanwhile, preventing costly food recalls is one of the topics under discussion at the Food Manufacture Group’s one-day food safety conference, to be staged at the Lowry in Manchester on September 29.
Maintenance problem
“After some maintenance there was a fault which occurred in a filler bowl on the production line and there was some rubbing against the metal bolts, and that is what created this issue.”
- Premier Foods
Safety and integrity
The conference, Safer food and drink – from harvest to home, will arm delegates with a whole supply chain perspective on food and drink safety and integrity.
Under discussion will be the latest developments to ensure food safety from the farm, through manufacture and the supply chain to products and packaging on sale.
Delegates will also hear what more the industry can do to reassure consumers about the safety and authenticity of their food and drink products.
The conference will be chaired by Professor Colin Dennis, president of the US Institute of Food Technologists, former director general of Campden BRI and past president of the UK Institute of Food Science & Technology.
For more information, including how to book, click here.