Perdue Foods has recalled over 167,000 pounds of chicken nuggets and tenders after consumers complained of finding bits of metal in the products.

The recall covers select lots of Perdue Breaded Chicken Tenders, Butcher Box Organic Chicken Breast Nuggets and Perdue Simply Smart Organics Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets.

No injuries or adverse reactions tied to eating these foods have been reported, according to Perdue and the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), but the agency noted in a news release that it is concerned some of the products may still be in consumers’ freezers.

The problem first came to light after consumers discovered metal wire bits in chicken they bought. Following an investigation, “we determined the material to be a very thin strand of metal wire that was inadvertently introduced into the manufacturing process,” Jeff Shaw, senior vice president of food safety and quality for Perdue, said in a company statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to voluntarily recall all of these packages of products.”

The affected tenders and nuggets can be identified by product codes listed in the FSIS notice. All three products have a best if used by date of March 23, 2025, and establishment number “P-33944” on the back of the package. They were sold at retailers nationwide and online.

What should consumers do? Anyone who has the recalled chicken should throw it away or return the product to its place of purchase, Perdue said. The company is offering full refunds to consumers who call 866-866-3703.

Foreign object contamination is one of the the leading reasons for food recalls in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

Last November, Tyson Foods recalled nearly 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after consumers also found metal pieces in the dinosaur-shaped products. Beyond metal, plastic fragments, rocks, bits of insects and more “extraneous” materials have prompted recalls after being discovered in packaged food, the AP reported.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on food safety.

SOURCE: Perdue, news release, Aug. 16, 2024; USDA Food Inspection Service, news release, Aug. 16, 2024; Associated Press

Source: HealthDay