Brioche brand issues recall over concerns of plastic contamination: 'Unsafe to eat'

In some ways, plastic offers convenience for our food production and sales systems. However, it also causes hazards.

United Kingdom shoppers who bought Brioche Pasquier recently had to check their packaging carefully, because a recall was issued for its Pitch Chocolate and Hazelnut Brioches with a best before date of March 4, the BBC reported. 

What happened?

In February, Brioche Pasquier, a French baked goods brand, issued a recall of chocolate-and-hazelnut-filled brioches from a particular batch. It warned that these items might be contaminated with pieces of hard, white plastic.

The recall, issued through the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency, was announced Feb. 7. According to the release, "this product may contain pieces of plastic which makes it a possible choking hazard and unsafe to eat." Another potential side effect is damage to the digestive system if swallowed.

It wasn't clear how the plastic got into the pastries.

It was clear where the brioches from this batch — specifically, the batch code UK 034 — ended up on the shelves at popular retailers such as Asda, Tesco, and Ocado.

Why is this recall important?

A food recall is always an alarming sign. First of all, food that is contaminated before it ever leaves the factory represents a massive waste of resources and labor, not to mention the money of the person who bought it.

Second, anyone who doesn't hear about the recall or disregards it is at risk of injury. 

Third, in this case, the material itself is a problem. Plastic damages the world around us in many ways, whether by shedding microplastics into the soil and water, releasing toxic chemicals, or even physically damaging us or wildlife.

What's being done about the contaminated product?

Issuing a recall should help protect the public from this particular instance of contaminated food. However, in the long term, the only way to perfectly ensure that plastic stays out of baked goods and other food is to reduce our reliance on it and choose other everyday alternatives.

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