Kraft Recalls Oscar Mayer Wieners

With changing consumer preferences, there is a huge demand for packaged products with unique flavors. Consumers however prefer to be informed about the nutritional contents of packaged food. In fact, it is mandatory to label the product accurately so that consumers are aware of the presence of ingredients that may pose a health risk, particularly allergies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (:FSIS) recently announced that Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (KRFT) recalled 96,000 pounds of wieners under its Oscar Mayer brand due to wrong packaging and undeclared allergen. These hot dogs were produced in early March at a facility in Columbia, MO.

The packets of Oscar Mayer Classic Wieners may contain Classic Cheese Dogs. As a result of misbranding, the packages do not reveal the presence of milk as an ingredient, which is a common allergen. However, no adverse reaction has been reported yet.

Kraft Foods Group is the fourth-largest branded food and beverage company in North America, after PepsiCo Inc. (PEP), Nestle and The Coca-Cola Company (KO). With growing health consciousness among consumers, Kraft has been offering a variety of products with improved nutritional profile like Planters NUT-rition, Oscar Mayer Selects and several low-fat cheese options. The company has also reformulated its products to add beneficial ingredients like fruits, vegetables and vitamins.

Earlier this month, the Oscar Mayer brand introduced new varieties of lunch meats under its popular Deli Fresh line called Deli Fresh BOLD lunch meats. Oscar Mayer's Deli Fresh BOLD lunch meats come in four flavors: Italian Style Herb Turkey Breast, Cajun Style Turkey Breast, Maple Honey Ham and Chipotle Seasoned Chicken Breast.

These new products are particularly designed for health conscious consumers. These new flavored lunch meats are 97% fat free, with no artificial preservatives or flavors. They are also gluten free.

Kraft Foods Group carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

A better-ranked company from the consumer goods sector is Diamond Foods, Inc. (DMND), carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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