A popular plant-based food manufacturer has recalled two frozen food items that may contain plastic pieces.

MorningStar Farms recalled certain Buffalo Chik'n Nuggets and Hot & Spicy Sausage Patties because the products may contain plastic pieces, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall report. These two products are the only from MorningStar affected by the recall.

A division of Kellanova, MorningStar Farms produces a variety of vegetarian and vegan plant-based products, typically variations of products that are typically made with meat.

Here's what to know about the MorningStar recall.

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit known for testing and monitoring consumer-facing policy and products, released its annual risky food report in April, naming the 10 foods of 2024 that were subject to the most recalls and/or associated with the largest illness outbreaks. USA TODAY broke it down further on a what-you-need-to-know basis.

Deli meat is somewhat of a "risky" food as it is often associated with the spread of listeria, such as in the 2024 case of the Boar's Head listeria outbreak that killed 10. Listeria monocytogenes is a hardy germ that can survive in very low temperatures but thrives in cool and damp places. It can, and will, happily live on foods in your or your grocery store's storage area, and the process for mass-producing the meat lends itself to plenty of opportunities for contamination.

Produce, like the cucumbers recalled due to a salmonella outbreak that infected 113 people across 23 states, can become adulterated with harmful bacteria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of the growing area to livestock.

Raw dairy, which is always unsafe to consume and illegal to sell in some states, poses a risk when it's not pasteurized. Dairy pasteurization, or heating milk products to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria, has been practiced since the 1920s and has resulted in illnesses commonly spread via milk, such as listeriosis, diphtheria and tuberculosis, becoming less prevalent.

Cotija and queso fresco cheese are made from unpasteurized milk, meaning they carry an increased risk. One producer, Rizo-Lopez Foods, was shut down in October 2024 after its cheeses were linked to a years-long listeria outbreak that killed two people and made dozens of others sick.

Eggs can become contaminated via the same means as cucumbers and other raw produce, especially if they have a cracked shell.

Like other raw produce, onions can become infected via fecal contamination. In 2024,  E. coli-contaminated slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounders triggered some locations to stop serving the burger temporarily.

Like cucumbers and onions, leafy greens are easily contaminated with bacteria like E. coli, as in the case of the Solata Foods spinach recall in 2024.

Organic carrots were linked to a major E. coli outbreak in late 2024, leaving at least 39 ill and one dead.

Ready-to-eat/cooked poultry and meat have been the source of multiple major recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years. The same issue arises with RTE foods as with deli meat; the conditions they are made and stored under are often ideal for bacteria such as listeria to grow. In 2024, millions of pounds of RTE foods were recalled by BrucePac for listeria contamination.

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit known for testing and monitoring consumer-facing policy and products, released its annual risky food report in April, naming the 10 foods of 2024 that were subject to the most recalls and/or associated with the largest illness outbreaks. USA TODAY broke it down further on a what-you-need-to-know basis.

Here is a closer look at the recalled MorningStar products:

Product name

UPC code

Size

Better if use before date

MorningStar Farms Buffalo Chik'n Nuggets

000 28989 10110 5

10.5-ounces

July 7, 2027 and July 8, 2027

MorningStar Farms Hot and Spicy Sausage Patties

000 28989 10094 8

8-ounces

July 5, 2027, July 6, 2027 and July 7, 2027

The recalled products were sold at retailers in the United States, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, according to the FDA report.

Discard the recalled products and contact MorningStar Farms for a refund. Customers may contact MorningStar Farms Consumer Affairs at 800-962-0120 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Unlimited Use: MorningStar products recalled for plastic pieces. See which items