Tyson Foods has issued a recall of approximately 500,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets and tenders after consumers reported finding small pieces of hard plastic in the products. The USDA has classified this as a Class I recall due to the potential for injury.
Affected products include Tyson Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets and Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips sold in 5-pound bags at major retailers nationwide. Specific lot codes and best-by dates are listed on the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service website.
Seven consumer complaints have been filed, including two reports of minor oral injuries. The contamination has been traced to a broken component in processing equipment at Tyson's Sedalia, Missouri plant.
Consumers should check their freezers and dispose of any matching products or return them to the store for a full refund. Tyson has established a dedicated consumer hotline and is processing refund requests within 48 hours.
The incident comes during a year of heightened food safety scrutiny, with the USDA increasing random inspections at poultry processing facilities by 20%. Tyson says it has replaced the faulty equipment and implemented additional screening measures at the affected plant.
