Warning: Metal Found in Tyson's Dinosaur-Shaped Chicken Nuggets Prompts Recall

Tyson Brand has recalled nearly 30,000 pounds of its Fun Nuggets frozen and fully-cooked chicken after customers reported finding little bits of metal in the nuggets, according to a company statement issued on Saturday.

The affected chicken nuggets, shaped like dinosaurs, were packaged in 29-ounce plastic bags and were available for purchase at retailers in Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

So far, a single minor oral injury has been reported due to the product, as per the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The agency is advising people not to eat the recalled product, and to throw it away or return it to the store where it was bought.

The affected Fun Nuggets have a “best by” date of September 4, 2024, and bear the establishment code P7211. They also have one of several product codes indicated on the packaging. The recalled chicken nuggets were all produced at the same facility on September 5.

According to Tyson, the metal found in the recalled nuggets is small and soft, and the recall is being issued "out of an abundance of caution". The FSIS has categorized this recall as High-Class 1, implying that using the product may cause severe health problems or even death.

The exact size of the metal pieces is not clearly specified. Also, it remains unexplained how the metal ended up contaminating the chicken nuggets.

The FSIS expressed concern about the recalled product possibly still being present in customers’ freezers, as the dinosaur-shaped nuggets are fully cooked and frozen. Consumers have been advised to check if they have bought the Fun Nuggets involved in the recall.

If consumers do have a recalled bag of Fun Nuggets, Tyson advises them to remove the product codes and “best by” dates from the package before throwing the rest away. They can then reach out to the company by calling or texting  855-382-3101.

The FSIS is urging anyone concerned about potential sickness or injury from consuming the recalled product to speak with their healthcare professional.

In the United States, one of the leading causes for meat recalls is the presence of foreign materials. In 2022, extraneous material contamination led to the recall of 477,158 pounds of meat and poultry.

Just this year, Tyson had to recall almost 16,000 pounds of its Hillshire Farm Smoked Rope Sausage after consumers reported finding bone fragments. In November 2022, the company also recalled over 93,000 pounds of ground beef that might have contained hard, mirror-like pieces.

In recent months, other major recalls due to foreign material contamination have included Kraft American Cheese Singles, Johsonville Beddar with Cheddar sausages, and some Trader Joe’s products.

Thus far, the recall has been linked to one oral injury. Potential injuries from foreign objects in food typically include harm to the teeth, gums, tongue, throat, and digestive system.

Usually, foreign materials smaller than 7 millimeters are unlikely to cause serious injury, but they can pose a threat to particularly vulnerable individuals, such as babies, the elderly, and recent surgery patients.

Given that Tyson’s Fun Nuggets are principally marketed to kids, whether this recall poses an increased risk is currently uncertain.