Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is recalling more than 4.5 million pounds of cooked chicken products that may be contaminated with plastic, wood, rubber and metal.

The recall, announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, includes a variety of chicken products that could be contaminated with the extraneous materials. The chicken products made by the Texas-based company were dated between Aug. 21, 2014 and March 1, 2016.

Company records show the products have been sold to schools, according to the USDA.

The products include breaded chicken nuggets, patties, fritters and strips in 30-pound and 10-pound packages. On April 7, Pilgrim’s Pride recalled more than 40,000 pounds of fully cooked chicken nuggets.

The products subject to the recall bear the number “EST. 20728” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items were shipped for institutional use nationwide.

The problem was first discovered after the company received several complaints about plastic contamination in chicken nuggets. The Food Safety and Inspection Service was notified of the problem on April 6. Personnel from the inspection service identified more affected products after investigating additional consumer complaints, according to the USDA.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions from people who have consumed the products, according to the USDA.

Customers who have purchased the recalled products should not eat them. The USDA says the chicken should be thrown away or returned to place of purchase.

A complete list of the recalled chicken products is available on the USDA website.


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