Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, has announced a recall of approximately 4.9 million pounds of ready-to-eat frozen chicken after reports surfaced that some products may contain fragments of metal, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The recalled items — including boneless chicken breast and thigh meat — were distributed to foodservice and institutional customers nationwide between February 10 and September 19. The products involved in the recall are sold under the Hormel FIRE BRAISED MEATS label and include:
-
13.9-lb cases of All Natural Boneless Chicken Thigh Meat (Item #65009)
-
13.8-lb cases of 3-oz All Natural Boneless Chicken Breast (Item #77531)
-
13.8-lb cases of 4-oz All Natural Boneless Chicken Breast (Item #46750)
-
23.8-lb cases of 5-oz All Natural Boneless Chicken Breast (Item #86206)
-
13.95-lb cases of Boneless Chicken Breast with Rib Meat (Item #134394)
Each recalled product displays establishment number “P-223” inside the USDA inspection mark. A full list of affected lot codes and production dates is available through the FSIS recall notice.
The issue came to light after Hormel received several complaints from customers who reported finding pieces of metal in the chicken. The company traced the contamination back to a damaged conveyor belt used during processing.
At this time, there have been no confirmed injuries or illnesses linked to the recalled products. Consumers who may have eaten the affected chicken and are concerned about potential injury are encouraged to seek medical advice.
FSIS cautions that some of the products may still be stored in the freezers of restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice establishments. These businesses are urged to discard the chicken immediately and not serve it under any circumstances.
