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WASHINGTON - Hormel Foods is recalling roughly 4.9 million pounds of foodservice ready-to-eat frozen chicken distributed nationwide after customers found metal fragments traced to a production conveyor belt, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.
Dig deeper:
The issue came to light after several foodservice customers reported finding pieces of metal in frozen chicken breast and thigh products.
Hormel Foods traced the contamination to a conveyor belt used during production.
No injuries have been confirmed in connection with the recalled products, but anyone who may have been affected is advised to contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS warned that some of the recalled items may still be stored in the freezers of hotels, restaurants, and institutions, urging these establishments not to serve the products and to dispose of them immediately.
Why you should care:
The recalled chicken breast and thigh products were shipped to HRI Commercial Food Service locations across the country between February 10, 2025, and September 19, 2025. The recalled items include the following products:
- 13.9-lb. cases containing "Hormel FIRE BRAISED MEATS ALL NATURAL BONELESS CHICKEN THIGH MEAT," with item code "65009" printed on the label.
- 13.8-lb. cases containing 3-oz."Hormel FIRE BRAISED MEATS ALL NATURAL BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST," with item code "77531" printed on the label.
- 13.8-lb. cases containing 4-oz."Hormel FIRE BRAISED MEATS ALL NATURAL BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST," with item code "46750" printed on the label.
- 23.8-lb. cases containing 5-oz."Hormel FIRE BRAISED MEATS ALL NATURAL BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST," with item code "86206" printed on the label.
- 13.95-lb. cases containing "BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST WITH RIB MEAT," with item code "134394" printed on the label
What you can do:
Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Hormel Foods Customer Relations through their website or by calling 1-800-523-4635.
The Source: The information in this story comes from an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and statements from Hormel Foods Corporation. This story was reported from Los Angeles.