A popular line of deli meals sold at major grocery stores has been recalled over potential metal contamination. 

Ukrop's Homestyle Foods has recalled six heat-and-eat deli meals over fears aluminum fragments from baking pans may have contaminated the food. 

Aluminum exposure at high levels can trigger serious health issues, including respiratory problems.

'During a routine review, a small sliver of aluminum was discovered in the baking pan used to prepare six of its products. A similar metal fragment was also identified in a Chicken Cobbler product yesterday,' the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) said.

The six recalled meals were sold at stores throughout Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. 

Big grocers including Wegmans, Kroger and Publix were impacted by the potential contamination. 

The recall covers 14.8oz and 62.4oz Baked Spaghetti, 11.6oz and 48oz Chicken Cobbler, and 13.8oz and 4lb Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. No other products are believed to be affected. 

Consumers should check for best-by dates between July 6 and August 5, 2026, on the affected products. 

 In addition to other grocery chains, the deli meals were distributed through Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Libbie Market, Military Retail, 25th Street Market and Ukrop's Market Hall.

'While no injuries have been reported, consumer safety remains our highest priority,' according to the FDA's statement.

The baking pan supplier has begun removing all potentially affected pan lots from circulation after being notified. 

Shoppers are warned not to eat the recalled meals and instead return them to the store for a full refund. 

Aluminum is widely used in everyday products, including food packaging, cookware, beverage cans and aluminum foil. Small amounts can also naturally occur in some foods and drinking water.

Adults in the US typically consume about seven to nine milligrams of the metal each day through their diet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most of the aluminum people consume passes through the body without being absorbed, and only a tiny amount enters the bloodstream.

Health experts say aluminum exposure from food is generally considered safe. Problems are mainly seen in people with severe kidney disease, whose bodies may struggle to remove excess aluminum.

Higher exposure can occur by breathing in aluminum dust at certain workplaces, living near areas where aluminum is mined or processed, or being near sites with naturally high levels of the metal. 

Aluminum is also found in some medications, including certain antacids, and in tiny amounts in some vaccines.