More than 13 tons of boneless chicken bites RECALLED due to plastic contamination

01/03/2024 / By Olivia Cook

The U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall order for more than 13 tons of boneless chicken bites due to possible “foreign matter” contamination.

According to the FSIS, some customers reportedly found bits of clear, hard plastic under the breading of some of the pieces. The product in question, TGI Friday’s Honey BBQ-Flavored Boneless Chicken Bites, was distributed by Kraft Heinz and sold at major grocery stores in the U.S., including Walmart and Target.

No illnesses or injuries have been reported in connection with the recalled chicken bites made by Arkansas-based Simmons Prepared Foods Inc. (SPFI), according to the FSIS. It advised anyone concerned about an injury to contact a healthcare provider. (Related: Chronic exposure to environmental pollution linked to plasticosis, a disease caused by ingestion of plastic particles.)

Meanwhile, SPFI pulled out affected products on Dec. 15. The impacted products packaged in 15-ounce cartons came with the lot code KL3KO3 and a “best by” date of Dec. 26, 2024 on the side of the box. They also contain the establishment number P-20287 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

SPFI issued a press release announcing the recall. “We have been working closely with the affected customer and regulatory authorities to expedite this product recall,” it wrote.

As with other food recall advisories, consumers who have bought the said products should check the production date, lot code, best-by date and establishment number to determine if these should be disposed of or returned to the place where they were purchased.

FDA recalls soft drinks over “foreign matter” contamination

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an enforcement report sent to United Packers, LLC for the recall of nearly 2,000 cases of popular beverages that are all packaged in 12-ounce aluminum cans sold in 12-count fridge packs, NBC15 News reported. The affected products were distributed and sold in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

Below are the details of the products pulled from shelves under the FDA recall order:

Diet Coke cans stamped with the lot number JAN2924MBD3, UPC 49000028911 and best-by date 01/29/24
Fanta Orange cans with lot number JUL2924MBD3, UPC 49000030730 and best-by date 07/29/24
Sprite cans with lot number JUL2924MBD3, UPC 49000028928 and best-by date 07/29/24

As of press time, the Coca-Cola Bottling UNITED had voluntarily recalled 417 cases of Diet Coke, 14 cases of Fanta Orange and 1,557 cases of Sprite in a total of 48 stores in the following markets in Robertsdale and Mobile in Alabama; Valparaiso, Florida; and Gulfport and Ocean Springs in Mississippi.

In a statement, Coca-Cola said: “No impacted product remains in the market and all recall activities in those markets are complete.”

According to the FDA, affected cases have since been removed from store shelves and are no longer available for purchase. It nevertheless customers were advised to still check their cabinets, fridges and pantries for any cans bearing the specified lot numbers and best-buy dates, throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.

WLBT News reported that neither Coca-Cola nor the FDA have released information about what “foreign material” was inside the impacted cans.

Visit CleanFoodWatch.com for more stories about recalls of food items contaminated with foreign material.

Watch this training video about food safety and proper food handling.

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