MO Altria Group Inc

By Jennifer Maloney 

Altria Group Inc. is recalling dozens of smokeless tobacco products including some sold under its popular Copenhagen and Skoal brands after receiving eight reports from consumers who found metal objects inside cans.

The recall applies to all products manufactured at the company's Franklin Park, Ill., facility. The company said it is still assessing how many cans are affected by the voluntary recall. It hasn't set a limit on the manufacture date of the products being recalled.

Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, is also one of the biggest makers of chewing tobacco. It shipped 813.5 million smokeless tobacco units in 2015. The Franklin Park facility is one of five the company has for smokeless products.

The first consumer complaint came on Jan. 18, an Altria spokesman said, and the company has been working with the Food and Drug Administration to investigate.

A spokesman for the FDA had no immediate comment.

Complaints have come from consumers in Indiana, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Ohio. In every case, the metal objects -- some of them sharp -- were visible in the can and were spotted before they caused injury.

"Though we have only a limited number of cans that are reported to us as affected and no reported injuries, we are taking this action in the interest of our consumers," said Brian Quigley, chief executive of Altria's U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. "We appreciate our consumers' patience and loyalty while we work through this matter."

The recalled products include several varieties of Copenhagen, including Extra Long Cut Natural and Long Cut Mint, and about two dozen Skoal flavors, including Bandit Mint and Long Cut Cherry. A smaller number of Husky and Cope products were also included.

Altria said certain products weren't affected including Copenhagen Fine Cut and Copenhagen Long Cut, both in a fiberboard can.

Altria's smokeless tobacco business accounted for $1.9 billion in revenue in 2015 and $1.1 billion of the company's operating income.

Altria is slated to report its latest financial results Wednesday morning.

Write to Jennifer Maloney at jennifer.maloney@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 31, 2017 18:49 ET (23:49 GMT)

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