Kraft Foods Group is voluntarily recalling Velveeta Original Pasteurized Recipe Cheese Product distributed to Walmart stores.

The food production giant explained in a news release that it is recalling 260 cases of the processed cheese because it believes they do not contain "appropriate levels" of the preservative sorbic acid.

The affected Velveeta comes in 32-ounce containers, has case code production time stamp between "10:54 - 14:35" only, consumer package time code "09:34 - 13:15" only, case UPC number 10021000611611, individual container UPC number 021000611614 and expiration date Dec. 17, 2014.

The case code date is on the side of the package.

"While unlikely, the affected product could spoil prematurely and/or lead to food borne illness. Therefore, the company is issuing this recall as a precaution," the release said.

The recall affects one batch of Velveeta made on one manufacturing line during a few hours of production -- and then shipped to three Walmart distribution centers that may have sent at least some of the cases to stores in 12 states: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Kraft has announced that none of the recalled items were shipped outside the United States, and no products made outside the time period on this case code date are affected by the recall, nor are any other Kraft or Velveeta products.

The affected product was identified during a review of finished product samples.

The company advises consumers who purchased any of the recalled products not to eat them, but instead to return them to their places of purchase for an exchange or full refund.

Anyone with additional questions may call Kraft Foods Consumer Relations at 1-800-310-3704 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time.

According to the Kraft Foods website, Velveeta was introduced to American consumers in 1928 and now claims more than $500 million in sales annually.