- The bars were found to contain hair nets, shrink wrap and parchment paper
- This could cause choking or stomach problems, the FDA warned
- READ MORE: I’m a doctor. Here are five foods you thought were healthy, but they aren’t
A stream of protein bars had to be recalled after people found foreign objects in them.
Pieces of disposable hair nets, shrink wrap and parchment paper were found in Burn Boot Camp Afterburn Grass-Fed Whey Protein Bars, which were voluntarily removed from shelves by maker Doctors Scientific Organica.
The products, which the company says are “backed by science,” could cause choking or stomach problems, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned.
Three batches of Burn Boot Camp Afterburn Grass-Fed Whey Protein Bars (60 grams) Triple Chocolate Almond flavor products have been recalled.
Pieces of disposable hair nets, shrink wrap and parchment paper were found in Burn Boot Camp Afterburn Grass-Fed Whey Protein Bars, which were voluntarily removed from shelves by maker Doctors Scientific Organica
The product was sold through Burn Bootcamp stores in the US, as well as online.
No illnesses or injuries have been reported.
The FDA said: ‘Foodborne foreign objects that are flexible and not sharp may cause minor injuries, such as transient choking or gastrointestinal injury.’
Customers who purchased the recalled protein bars should not eat them and should throw them away or return them to the place where they were purchased.
The US protein industry is booming, with sales reaching $6.5 billion last year – double the amount in 2014.
High protein diets can help induce weight loss by lowering levels of hunger hormones while increasing levels of hormones related to satiety.
But many protein bars are high in calories, making it easy to add calories without having to eat a lot of extra food.
One study found that people who ate one every day were more likely to gain weight within a week than those who didn’t.
Researchers believe that while protein bars are often nutritious, they are not filling enough to keep a person from eating more later.
Most popular brands – such as Quest bars – contain around 200 calories, which is about the same as two apples or three medium eggs.
Researchers from Arizona State University followed 21 people, most of whom were in their twenties.
During the first two weeks of the trial, participants were encouraged to follow their normal diet while tracking their daily calorie consumption.
Everyone was then told to eat one protein bar a day every morning within an hour of waking up for another two weeks.
Total daily calorie consumption increased by up to 220 calories while using the protein bar, while fat mass increased by 0.5 kilograms in the first week.