Tobacco Product Recalled in 18 States Over Fears of Metal Contamination

A brand of chewing tobacco sold in numerous states has been recalled over potential metal contamination concerns, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a new alert.

The recall was voluntarily initiated by American Snuff Company (ASC) after conducting checks on its product at a facility in Clarksville, Tennessee. Chewing tobacco sold as Kodiak Premium Wintergreen Longcut Tobacco was found to potentially contain foreign metal contamination that may or may not be visible to consumers, the results of an abrasion issue with the machinery used in the production process. The company is now cooperating with the FDA on the recall.

"The recall was as the result of identifying an issue with manufacturing equipment during routine inspection that caused metal-to-metal abrasion," an official release from the FDA said. "This abrasion could have caused metal shavings to come into contact with tobacco during the manufacturing process."

The recalled products are known to have been sold in the following 18 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

To date, ASC said that no products identified with the potential contamination, nor has the company received any complaints from customers or reports of injuries caused by metals in the recalled product. The company has also stressed that none of its other smokeless tobacco products have been affected by this recall, including those sold under the brands Kodiak, Grizzly, Hawken, and Cougar, nor any of its loose leaf, twist, dry snuff, and plug products.

"ASC has instructed wholesalers and retailers to segregate the recalled Kodiak Premium Wintergreen Longcut Tobacco from their inventories," the FDA's statement confirmed. "ASC's sales representatives are assisting wholesalers and retailers in returning the product."

ASC provided the following product codes, visible on the bottom of the cans, that correspond with the products affected by this recall, with the lowercase x's representing characters not being relevant in identifying them: GxxxxlK3, GxxBxJK3, GxxAxJK, and GxxCxJK3.

Any consumer who believes that they are in possession of a recalled product is urged to contact ASC at 1-866-843-0636, in order to "return the product for a refund, report any adverse events, or submit a complaint."

Newsweek reached out to American Snuff Company via email for comment.

While smokeless tobacco recalls are relatively uncommon compared to other product categories, they are not completely unheard of, with one example from 2017 also being prompted by metal contamination. In February of that year, products sold under Skoal, Copenhagen, Cope, and Husky were recalled after reports were received from consumers in six states, though no injuries had been reported at the time.