Mushrooms from major Australian supermarkets are being urgently recalled after pieces of plastic were found in packaged punnets.
Coles, Woolworths and Aldi have been forced to remove the sliced white and brown mushrooms amid safety fears as customers could choke on pieces of plastic.
The incident was alerted to the producer, Costa Mushrooms Exchange, who notified authorities for the immediate recall.
The Costa Group’s official food recall stated: ‘There is a potential hazard if plastic pieces are swallowed.’
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand provided the above picture of the punnets of mushrooms that are due to be recalled amid safety fears
The product has been available in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory and the affected punnets have been stamped with Use By dates before and including 19/07/2018.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand said that affected sizes were the 200g, 375g, 500g punnets.
While the mushrooms are produced by the Costa Group, each supermarket labels them based on their respective branding – Coles, Woolworths and Karidale Farm Fresh a private label at Aldi.
Other greengrocers will be forced to recall the mushrooms labelled as Costa Mushrooms.
The call to action says that customers should return the product immediately where they will receive a full refund.
A Costa statement said: ‘Following discovery of damage to plastic rollers on a packaging line at its Victorian mushroom production facility, the Costa Mushroom category has issued a consumer alert advising that some punnets of sliced mushrooms could contain large pieces of white plastic, and that the product is being recalled.’
‘While the probability of consumer impact is extremely low, and the large pieces of white inert plastic would be highly visible, consumers who have not used the sliced mushrooms are advised to return the product to the store of purchase to receive a full refund.’
The recall comes days after a frozen vegetable recall at Woolworths, Aldi and IGA following fears of a possible listeria outbreak.
Costa Mushrooms are available at Coles, Woolworths and Aldi in their respective labels (pictured)