The Scary Reason Why Nearly 1 Million Pounds of Chicken Nuggets Have Been Recalled
Chicken-nugget aficionados and chicken-finger enthusiasts be warned — nearly one million pounds of chicken from an Oklahoma-based manufacturer may be contaminated with “extraneous materials.” What kind, you ask? The kind nobody wants in their body: metal.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Ok Food Inc. has issued a recall of their chicken products. After five customers reported finding metal objects in their food, an investigation took place to reveal the metal pieces came from the belting of a metal conveyer.
“After an internal investigation, the firm identified the affected product and determined that the objects in all the complaints came from metal conveyor belting,” FSIS says in a statement.
The USDA has classified the recall as Class I — the most severe of the three classes — and says the recall is a high health risk. Class I is issued when there is a health hazard situation “where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
The recall impacts 933,272 pounds of breaded chicken produced from December 19, 2016, through March 7, 2017. While no injuries have been reported thus far, FSIS recommends consumers toss out or return any recalled products. Ok Food sells their chicken products under various brand names at popular food retailers around the country, including Walmart’s Great Value.
The thought of accidentally consuming metal shards is daunting, so consumers should refer to the list of products impacted before indulging in ready-to-eat chicken products. And if the terms of the recall are too complicated, you can always use the USDA’s “Ask Karen” virtual representative tool 24 hours a day, seven days a week for further assistance.
In the meantime, maybe try making your own chicken nuggets and chicken tenders at home.
Read more: OK Food Inc. Recalls Breaded Chicken Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination from Food Safety and Inspection Service