Wegmans announced a recall of its store-brand Organic Chicken Noodle Soup in early February over concerns that it may contain plastic fragments.
What's happening?
According to Newsweek, the grocery chain recalled its chicken noodle soup because red plastic shards may have been mixed in. Any customer who purchased the soup was asked to return it for a full refund or throw it away.
Delish added that Wegmans provided no information about how the contamination occurred. Affected soups will have a best-by date of February 17, 2026.
In response to the issue, one X user said, "Plastics are in most of the everyday things you eat and drink, recall it all."
This is not the first time Wegmans has had to recall one of its products due to food safety and inspection concerns. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the company had to recall over 1,000 pounds of chicken products because they hadn't undergone inspection.
Other brands have faced similar complaints in recent years, including Deiorio Foods' pizza crusts, Alesto snack bars, and King Harvest hummus.
Why is this recall important?
Plastic food packaging has long been controversial. Due to fears of chemical contamination, many consumers worry about plastic's impact on their health.
When it comes down to it, people consume microplastics simply by existing — they're in our food, water, and air. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, estimates suggest that humans consume the equivalent of a credit card's worth of plastic per week.
Unfortunately, that's just the beginning of the issue. The Center added that plastics are made from dirty fuels that release pollutants harmful to health into the air.
Additionally, the organization shared that the plastics used in consumer products often contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which have been linked to congenital disabilities, immune system suppression, and cancer, among other issues.
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What's being done about plastic contamination?
Food safety is critical, as unidentified ingredients or non-food materials can cause injury or allergic reactions. While it's impossible to avoid plastic altogether, there are ways you can reduce your exposure to its harmful chemicals.
Physicians at Stanford Medicine recommend you avoid plastic packaging by choosing items that come in glass. Additionally, you should hand-wash plastic storage containers to reduce the chance of chemical leaching in the dishwasher.
If you need to buy items wrapped in or made from plastic, Eco-Cycle suggests looking at the type of plastic, typically denoted by a number. #1, #3, and #5 are safer and easier to recycle, while #3, #6, and #7 may contain more toxic chemicals and are difficult to recycle.
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