Tyson Foods has recalled 69,093 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strips because the strips may contain metal fragments, according to the company and the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The chicken strips were sold under the Tyson brand to retail stores across the country in 25-ounce bags. They were also sold under the Spare Time brand to retailers and correctional institutions in 20-pound boxes (but probably not to consumers).
The Tyson products in the recall are certain types of Tyson Fully Cooked Buffalo Style Chicken Strips and Tyson Fully Cooked Crispy Chicken Strips (details below). These packages bear a "best if used by" date of Nov. 30, 2019.
The problem was discovered when the FSIS received two complaints from consumers who found metal fragments in the product. There have been no confirmed reports of injury or illness, the FSIS says.
The Tyson products are sold in supermarkets. The products were shipped to distribution centers in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Tyson says that a list of stores that received the product will be posted on the USDA's website eventually, but that information isn't currently available.
For the Tyson products, you'll find the use-by date on the back of the bags at the top. The date is preceded by a case code. For the Buffalo Style strips, the case codes are 3348CNQ0317 and 3348CNQ0318. For the Crispy Chicken strips, the case codes are 3348CNQ0419, 3348CNQ0420, 3348CNQ0421, and 3348CNQ0422.
The last two numbers on the case codes indicate the hour the product was produced and will be followed by the minutes. The time stamps for the Buffalo Style strips are 17:00 to 18:59. For the Crispy chicken strips, the time stamps are 19:00 to 22:59.
All the recalled products have the establishment code P-7221.
Tyson spokesperson Gary Mickelson says the company is still investigating how the metal fragments got into the chicken products. However, he says, "we currently believe it's an isolated incident." According to Mickelson, the company believes most of the affected product is no longer in stores, but some could still remain in consumers' freezers.
Consumers should take care to ensure that they don't have any affected products at home, says James E. Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports.
Foreign objects in food have the potential to be very dangerous. Metal, plastic, rubber, and other contaminants found recently in foods "all have the ability to do very serious damage to the digestive tract," Rogers says.
This is the sixth food recall since December 2018 to involve foreign objects in processed foods. One of these also involved Tyson chicken products, for contamination with rubber pieces.
The Details
Products recalled: 25-ounce bags of frozen, ready-to-eat Tyson chicken strips and 20-pound cases of frozen, ready-to-eat Spare Time chicken strips. The following products are part of the recall. All have a best-if-used-by date of Nov. 30, 2019, and establishment code P-7221 on the back of the package.
• 25-ounce bags of frozen Tyson Fully Cooked Buffalo Style Chicken Strips Chicken Breast Strip Fritters With Rib Meat and Buffalo Style Sauce. Case codes are 3348CNQ0317 and 3348CNQ0318, and the time stamps are from 17:00 to 18:59 hours.
• 25-ounce bags of frozen Tyson Fully Cooked Crispy Chicken Strips Chicken Breast Strip Fritters With Rib Meat. Case codes are 3348CNQ0419, 3348CNQ0420, 3348CNQ0421, and 3348CNQ0422, and the time stamps are from 19:00 to 22:59 hours.
• 20-pound cases of Spare Time Fully Cooked Buffalo Style Chicken Strips Chicken Breast Strip Fritters With Rib Meat and Buffalo Style Sauce. The case code is 3348CNQ03.
The problem: The chicken strips may contain metal fragments.
The fix: Before buying this product, consumers should check labels for the dates and codes listed above. If you already have this product in your freezer, you should throw it out or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
How to contact the manufacturer: Call Tyson Foods at 866-886-8456.
How to contact the FSIS: If you experience a problem with meat or poultry, such as foreign objects in food or foodborne illness, you can report it on the FSIS website or by calling the USDA's meat and poultry hotline at 888-674-6854.
