Kraft recalled approximately 130,000 cases of Velveeta Shells & Cheese in 2011.
More precisely, Kraft Foods Global announced the voluntary recall in late September 2011, and reports commonly described the amount as about 137,000 cases. The recall covered several varieties of Velveeta Shells & Cheese and Velveeta Rotini & Cheese microwaveable cups distributed in the United States.
The precaution was prompted by the possible presence of small, thin wire-bristle pieces, apparently associated with cleaning equipment used during production. The affected products had limited “best when used by” dates, including May 16, 2012, for one Velveeta Shells & Cheese variety. Kraft said there were no reported consumer injuries or complaints at the time.
A common mix-up is the number: quiz and news summaries often round the figure to 130,000, while contemporary recall reports gave the more precise figure of approximately 137,000 cases. Another possible confusion is the company name: Kraft Foods was the company responsible in 2011; Kraft Heinz did not yet exist under that name.