58 Million Pounds of Corn Dogs, Sausage Items Recalled Due to Possible Wood Contamination

The manufacturer has received several consumer complaints, including five reports of injuries.

An image of the recalled corn dog and sausage on a stick product. Courtesy of the USDA

Texas-based Hillshire Brands Company is recalling about 58 million pounds of corn dog and sausage-on-a-stick products as they could be contaminated with “extraneous material, specifically pieces of wood embedded in the batter,” the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said in a Sept. 27 statement.

The recalled products “were sold online and shipped to retail and food service locations nationwide. They were also sold to school districts and Department of Defense facilities nationwide,” the FSIS, an agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), said.

“While the products were distributed to schools, it resulted from commercial sales and not part of food provided by the USDA for the National School Lunch Program,” the department said.

The items were sold under brand names Jimmy Dean and State Fair. They were also sold without branding. Some of the items have a use-by date extending into 2026. The products bear establishment numbers P-894 or EST-582 on their packaging.

The recall has been designated a “High-Class I” classification, the most severe of the three USDA recall designations.

A Class I designation indicates a high or medium risk from the product and is issued “where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

The contamination issue came to light after the Hillshire Brands Company received multiple complaints from consumers, including five detailing alleged injuries, FSIS said.

An investigation conducted by the company concluded that wooden pieces entered the production process before the battering stage, it said.

FSIS said it has not received any additional reports of injuries suffered as a result of consuming the recalled items. The agency advised any individuals concerned about possible injuries to get in touch with a health care provider.

“FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers, along with school and institution refrigerators and freezers,” the agency said. “Consumers, schools, and institutions who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”

In a Sept. 27 statement, Tyson Foods, which owns the Hillshire Brands Company, said the contamination issue has been isolated and that no other Jimmy Dean or State Fair products have been impacted.

The recalled items were manufactured between March 17 and Sept. 26, it said.

“The affected products were only produced at the Haltom City facility (M582+P894) and it is the only location affected by this voluntary recall,” Tyson said.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Hillshire Brands Company for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.

According to FSIS, meat and poultry products contaminated with foreign materials are considered to be adulterated under the Poultry Products Inspection Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act.

A product is deemed adulterated when it contains poisonous or harmful substances, is unhealthful or unwholesome, or was prepared or packaged in unsanitary conditions, among other reasons, the agency said.

“Contamination can occur at any point along the food production chain—during production, processing, distribution, or preparation,” FSIS said.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the Study and Framework for Efficiency in Food Oversight and Organizational Design (SAFE FOOD) Act in May to make food inspection safe and more efficient, according to a May 21 statement from the lawmaker’s office.

Specifically, the bill aims to carry out a study on consolidating various federal agencies involved in food safety activities into a single agency, it said.

“Current food safety oversight is spread across multiple federal, state, and local agencies which decreases efficacy, creates gaps, and slows response times to potential public health risks,” Cotton said at the time.

“My bill is a commonsense step to expanding government efficiency and enhancing public health protection by unifying our food safety agencies.”