Tyson Foods Inc. recalled more than 18 tons of its chicken nuggets after some consumers discovered rubber in the product.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said the recall is of approximately 36,420 pounds—or 18.21 tons—of panko chicken nugget items. It categorized the health risk as "high."
Consumers are urged not to eat the affected product, which was produced at the end of November and distributed to retail stores nationwide.
FSIS said it was notified of the contamination on January 29, the same day the recall was issued.
The affected product is 5 lb plastic packages of "Tyson White Meat Panko Chicken Nuggets" with a "Best If Used By" date of "Nov 26 2019," case code "3308SDL03," and time stamps 23:00 through 01:59.
They also bear establishment number "P-13556" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
"There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider," FSIS said in a release.
"FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers' freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."
Tyson said in a release it had voluntarily recalled the product.
"A small number of consumers contacted the company to say they had found small pieces of soft, blue plastic in the nuggets, prompting the company to issue the recall," Tyson said.
"Though the pieces have been found in a very small number of packages, no injuries have been reported with this recall; however, out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling 36,420 pounds of product.
"Consumers should know that the product was shipped to club store distribution centers in Arizona, California, Illinois, New Jersey and Utah.
"Consumers who have purchased any of the affected items, you should discard the product, cut the UPC and date code from the back of the packaging and mail it to the following address for a full refund: Tyson Foods Consumer Relations, P.O. Box 219, Kings Mountain, NC 28086.
"Consumers with questions should call the special toll-free line at 1-888-747-7611. Customer service representatives will be available Monday through Friday 7am – 6pm CST."
This is not the only Tyson recall in recent years. According to the FSIS website, Tyson also recalled chicken products in 2016, 2017, and 2018 for hard plastic contamination, misbranding, and undeclared allergens.
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