The Marinara Sauce Recall That Posed Real Danger 

Store-bought marinara is a wholesome and convenient weeknight dinner favorite for millions of Americans, but this popular pasta sauce can be alarmingly dangerous. Marinara sauce recalls have affected millions of consumers over the years in the United States. Some jarred tomato-based sauces have been pulled from the shelves for relatively benign reasons like labeling errors, but others have been recalled for far more concerning reasons. One of the most disconcerting marinara sauce recalls occurred in 2005 when Acme recalled thousands of jars of the grocery store's Signature Select brand Spaghetti Traditional Sauce over fears of contamination with foreign materials.

As it turns out, those foreign materials were pieces of plastic and glass. Spaghetti sauce with chunks of glass mixed in is not only incredibly unappetizing, but it also poses a real danger. Beyond the obvious risk of cuts and injuries to the mouth, throat, and gut, accidentally swallowing glass can result in seriously uncomfortable symptoms like fever, chills, bloating, and chest and abdominal pain.

Though Acme Markets opened its first location in Philadelphia in 1891, today the supermarket chain is owned by Albertsons Companies and operates over 150 stores across the Northeast. Throughout over a century of history (and various sales and mergers), Acme has enjoyed relatively strong customer loyalty thanks to its reputation for quality products and community spirit. Luckily for Acme, this trust doesn't seem to have been shattered by the 2005 recall of thousands of jars of potentially glass- and plastic-contaminated spaghetti sauce. 

The voluntary recall of 34,000 pounds of sauce sold under the Signature Select label received relatively little media attention at the time. Customers who had bought the tainted 26-ounce jars were allowed to return them to ACME stores for a full refund or exchange. Exactly how Acme's Spaghetti Traditional Sauce got contaminated with glass and plastic is unclear, but this kind of foreign material contamination is often the result of broken or damaged machinery, human error, contaminated raw materials, or failures in packaging materials or processes. Contamination and recalls aside, if you're looking to upgrade your favorite store-bought marinara, we suggest giving your spaghetti sauce an umami boost with the addition of a totally edible and much more flavorful ingredient.