Wal-Mart Frozen Chicken Nugget Recall: Pieces of Plastic Found in Food

Just under 100,000 pounds of Wal-Mart frozen chicken nuggets have been recalled due to the possible presence of small pieces of plastic that may pose a risk of injury for consumers. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the frozen chicken nugget recall on Monday after Perdue Farms, Inc. received complaints from consumers who found small pieces of blue plastic inside the nuggets. There have been no reports of injury or illness associated with the foreign object food contamination, according to the FSIS.

The recall affects 91,872 pounds of “Great Value Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets” by Perdue Farms, Inc., sold in 1-pound, 13-ounce bags. The bags have a use-by date of June 9, 2011, and each bag has an establishment number of P-33944 and a case code of 89008 A0160 on the back. The bags were produced on June 9, 2010, and shipped in cases of eight to Wal-Mart stores nationwide.

This is the second food recall due to foreign object contamination issued in less than a month. On June 25, the FSIS announced a BBQ chicken pizza recall for 109,800 pounds of Marketside barbecue chicken pizza by Great Kitchens, Inc. after the manufacturer found red pieces of plastic in the pizzas.

In 2008, similar problems caused Nestle Prepared Foods Company to recall more than 1.2 million pounds of frozen foods after discovering small pieces of hard, red plastic pieces in their meals. After initially recalling only 200,000 pounds of Lean Pocket Spinach Artichoke Chicken pockets in July 2008, Nestle expanded the recall the next month to add another 200,000 pounds of Hot Pocket Pepperoni Pizza pockets. In November 2008, 875,000 more pounds of Lean Cuisine chicken meals were recalled by Nestle, who indicated that the plastic pieces entered their facility in a single lot of incoming raw ingredients.

The FSIS suggests that anyone who believes they may have swallowed plastic pieces in these foods and is concerned about their health should contact their physician. Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Perdue Consumer Relations at  (877) 727-3447.