Macaroni-and-cheese recalled

Kraft Foods is recalling 242,000 cases of its popular macaroni and cheese products over concerns they contain pieces of metal.Kraft has received eight consumer contacts about this product from the impacted line within this range of code dates and no injuries have been reported. We deeply regret this situation and apologize to any consumers we have disappointed.

The boxes have “best when used by” dates ranging from Sept. 18, 2015, through Oct. 11, 2015, and are marked with the code “C2.” They were sold throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and in some countries in the Caribbean and South America.

The recall covers 7.25 ounce boxes that were sold individually and in packs of three, four and five. It covers 242,000 cases of the product.

While recalls are commonplace among large companies, Kraft has had a streak of them (see last year’s recalls on Velveeta, Oscar Meyer wieners, and several brands of Kraft cottage cheese) at a time when upstart competitors stand ready to nibble away more and more market share.

Based on history, that’s fairly unlikely.

Less than four years ago, Kraft faced a similar recall of about 137,000 cases of its Velveeta Shells & Cheese single-serve cups because a few were discovered to contain wire bristle pieces. The stock (Kraft back then was part of a larger company that has since been renamed Mondelez International) dipped for just a couple of days and then bounced back within weeks.