Food Company Recalls 30,000 Pounds Of Dino Chicken Nuggets Over Reported Metal Piece Contamination

A famous food company in the United States is recalling approximately 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg) of breaded chicken "Fun Nuggets" after customers complained of metal fragments in the dinosaur-shaped patties.

The Recall

The nuggets usually come in 29-ounce bags containing frozen and "fully cooked fun nuggets breaded shaped chicken patties were manufactured on September 5 by a firm in Berryville, Arkansas.

Tyson Food immediately notified the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service and said it voluntarily recalled the nuggets "out of an abundance of caution."

The problem was identified after the food company received complaints from customers who filed complaints and reported about finding small metal bits in the food.

"There has been one reported minor oral injury associated with consumption of this product. FSIS has received no additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of these products," USDA said.

The nuggets subject to the recall carry the number P7211 on the back of their package.

They were distributed to merchants situated in Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The chicken product is extremely popular among consumers, which accounted for 21 percent of Tyson's total nugget sales in 2021.

Public Advisory

The Food Safety and Inspection Service advised the consumers not to eat the nuggets, and any goods left in the freezer "should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."

"Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider," the federal agency said.

Even in low quantities, metals are poisonous, persistent, and harmful to human health. Consumption of heavy metals in food may disturb biological and metabolic processes in the human body.

Gingivitis, stomatitis, tremors, diarrhea, hemoglobinuria, paralysis, vomiting, convulsions, and depression are all symptoms of these illnesses. Similarly, heavy metals can impair metabolic activity and genetic constitution, as well as impact embryonic or fetal development.

Food safety is an important public health issue that must be addressed in order to maintain food quality and keep humans safe from food-related health concerns.

The Arkansas-based company is the world's second-largest meat processor, and this is not the first time their chicken products have been recalled.

Last November, the company recalled ground beef after discovering a "mirror-like" substance in the meat.

In 2019, a recall of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken strips totaled about 5.4 million kilograms due to contamination concerns.

Six consumers complained that they found pieces of metal in the product.

In the same year, the food company also recalled a batch of chicken nuggets due to possible rubber contamination.

Tyson closed a number of chicken processing factories in the United States in 2022 due to a drop in demand.

However, as the price of beef and pork rose above the price of chicken, many people shifted to the cheaper poultry.

This raised optimism that the recent surge in demand would improve food company earnings.