Animal cookies sold at Target recalled because they may contain metal pieces

Animal cookies sold at Target stores nationwide are now being recalled because the snacks may contain pieces of metal wire. 

The company that makes the sugary glaze- and sprinkle-covered treats, D. F. Stauffer Biscuit of Pennsylvania, announced the recall last week after someone found "metal (wire) inside a portion of the cookies," according to the company.

Stauffer Biscuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS MoneyWatch Tuesday. 

The recall impacts 44-ounce clear bear-shaped jugs of Market Pantry White Fudge Animal Cookies with a best-by date of February 21, 2023, lot number Y052722 and UPC code 9589334921, all of which can be found on a label on the back of the bear jug below the nutritional panel, according to the announcement.

The potentially dangerous snacks were distributed to Target stores nationwide. Stauffer urges anyone with these cookies not to eat them and to return them to Target for a full refund.

Ingesting food-borne foreign objects, like metal pieces, could cause choking, dental damage or "small lacerations in the gastrointestinal system," Stauffer Biscuit said in its recall announcement. 

Stauffer Biscuit, founded in 1871, makes animal cookies, ginger snaps and other baked treats. For most of its existence, Stauffer produced animal cookies in its York, Pennsylvania facility, but the company opened a second facility in Santa Ana, California in 2001. Stauffer Biscuit produces more than 250 tons of animal cookies daily, according to its parent company, Meiji America.

The Market Pantry label marks the second time Stauffer Biscuit has recalled its animal cookies in recent history. In 2017, the company recalled the snacks because they were packaged with other cookies that contained milk powder, which could cause an allergic reaction in some people.