A pancake mix sold at Walmart and Kroger was recalled over concerns about cable fragment contamination

• A third-party brand has recalled a pancake mix sold at Walmart and Kroger.
• Continental Mills issued the recall over cable fragment contamination on March 19, 2022.

A breakfast brand recalled pancake mix sold at both Walmart and Kroger over concerns that "fragments from a cable used to clear the processing line" have contaminated the product, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The two products in question are Walmart's Great Value Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix and Kroger's Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix. Both mixes are produced by a third-party brand called Continental Mills. The Kroger recall was issued on March 18, while the Walmart recall was put in a day later. Both recalls were voluntary and undertaken by Continental Mills.

The Great Value pancake mix is sold nationwide, while the possibly contaminated Kroger product was distributed to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Continental Mills is a third-party brand focusing on "breakfast, baking, and snacks" based in Tukwila, Washington.

"Food Safety is the highest priority for Continental Mills and the company is acting swiftly for the safety of consumers," the brand said in a statement released through the FDA. "Continental Mills is working with the FDA and retailers to ensure any affected product is removed from the marketplace immediately."

The brand did not immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment.

"No contaminated product has been reported by consumers to date," the FDA wrote in both recall releases. "No injuries have been reported to date."

The FDA urges consumers who bought the recalled pancake mixes to bring the items back to the store in order to obtain a replacement or a refund. Customers should not consume the mix.

In the US, recalls are typically voluntary moves undertaken by companies themselves. The voluntary nature of the product recall holds even in extreme cases, like when Family Dollar recently recalled a wide range of items over a massive rodent infestation. The FDA does have the power to issue mandatory recalls, however. It wielded that power in 2018 to force a company to yank its line of opioid supplements tainted with salmonella.

The three main governmental bodies involved in recalls include the FDA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the US Department of Agriculture. Product recalls can become a matter of life or death in cases involving faulty consumer products. True to its name, the FDA tends to spearhead recalls focused on food items and drugs or consumer medical devices, like at-home COVID tests.