11 Million Pounds of Chicken Strips Recalled Over Possible Contamination

11 Million Pounds of Chicken Strips Recalled Over Possible Contamination
Zachary Stieber
5/4/2019
Updated:
5/4/2019

Tyson Foods issued a nationwide recall of over 11 million pounds of chicken strips.

The Arkansas-based company produced chicken strips that could be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of metal, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The chicken strips were shipped to retail and Department of Defense locations nationwide. They were also being used in institutions across the country.

Two consumers found pieces of metal in their Tyson chicken strips and alerted the service, which said that it’s now aware of six complaints and three injuries from the issue. The health risk for the alert is listed as high.

The products were produced from Oct. 1, 2018, to March 8, 2019, and have “Use By Dates” on the packages of Oct. 1, 2019, through March 7, 2020. All of the products bear the establishment number “P-7221” on the back of the package.

Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Tyson Foods said on May 4, 2019, that it was voluntarily recalling over 1 million pounds of chicken strips because they might contain pieces of metal. (U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service)
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Tyson Foods Consumer Relations at 1-866-886-8456. In a statement, the company said it was issuing the recall “in the interest of public health even though the vast majority of the products have already been consumed without any reported incidents.” It wasn’t clear whether the company had been informed of the three illnesses.

“We have discontinued use of the specific equipment believed to be associated with the metal fragments, and we will be installing metal-detecting X-ray machinery to replace the plant’s existing metal-detection system. We will also be using a third-party video auditing system for metal-detection verification,” said Barbara Masters vice president of regulatory food policy, food, and agriculture for Tyson Foods, in a statement.

The products recalled include the following:

Tyson “Fully Cooked Crispy Chicken Strips, Chicken Breast Strip Fritters With Rib Meat,” frozen in 40-ounce plastic bags. Tyson “Fully Cooked Honey BBQ Flavored Chicken Strips Chicken Breast Strip Fritters With Rib Meat and Honey BBQ Style Sauce Smoke Flavor Added,” frozen in 25-ounce plastic bags.

Food Lion “crispy chicken strips fully cooked chicken breast strip fritters with rib meat made with white meat chicken fully cooked microwaveable,” frozen in 25-ounce plastic bags.

Giant Eagle “Crispy Fully Cooked chicken strips chicken breast strip fritters with rib meat made with white meat chicken,” frozen in 25-ounce plastic bags.

Other brand names include Meijer, Publix, and Kirkwood. For a full list, (pdf).