What a restaurant found in the sausage got almost 50,000 pounds of it recalled

UPDATE: The USDA has released a retail distribution list that includes Walmart stores in nine states, including California and Texas. In fact, the sausage seems mainly to have gone to Texas, as the list includes all Texas stores for Walmart, Kroger, Lowe's, United Supermarkets, Spring Markets, Super 1, Market Street and Brookshires. Also listed were two Alberton's in Midland and two in Odessa.

Little white pieces of fat make the long list of edible material in smoked sausage. Little white pieces of plastic, on the other hand, made Eddy Packing recall 49,558 pounds of smoked sausage products.

According to the USDA recall notice posted late Friday night, "The problem was discovered after the company received complaints from a restaurant that pieces of white, hard plastic were found embedded in the sausage during slicing."

The USDA rated this a Class I recall. A Class I recall, "is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

That contrasts with the Class II designation given the week's earlier recall of ground beef after plastic was found by a customer. A Class II recall "is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product."

This recall covers seven different brands produced by the Texas-based company. They were distributed to food service and retail outlets in Texas, California, Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico and Oklahoma. All brands come from lot Nos. 8095 or 8096.

▪ Eddy Fully Cooked Premium Smoked Sausage, 2.5-pound packages, with a sell by date of June 29, 2018 and case code PU1642 or sell by June 30, 2018 and case code PU1663.

▪ Dickey's Barbeque Pit Original Smoked Fresh Polish Sausage Made With Pork and Beef, 12-ounce packages, sell by June 10, 2018 and case No. PU1656.

▪ Lowe's Original Recipe Naturally Hardwood Smoked Sausage Made With Pork and Beef, 40-ounce packages, sell by June 29, 2018 and case code PU1644.

▪ Eddy Smoked Sausage Made With Pork and Beef, 10-pound cases, sell by April 6, 2019 and case code PU1658.

▪ Carl's Pork and Beef Smoked Sausage, 30-pound cases, sell by April 6, 2019 and case code PU1660.

▪ Eddy Southern Style Pork and Beef Smoked Sausage, 10-pound cases, sell by April 6, 2019 and case code PU1659.

▪ Dickey Cheese/Jalapeno Pork and Beef Sausage Ring, 20-pound cases with four 5-pound packages, sell by April 6, 2019 and case code PU1655.

Consumers can either toss these products or return them to the store for full refund.

Anyone with questions can call Francisco Montejano at Eddy Packing Company, 361-293-2361, ext. 771.

This story was originally published May 5, 2018 at 8:49 AM with the headline "What a restaurant found in the sausage got almost 50,000 pounds of it recalled."