Pilgrim’s expands chicken recall for third time

Pilgrim’s is again expanding a recall on poultry products processed at its facility in Waco, Texas.  The latest expansion includes 376,380 pounds of fully cooked chicken wing products.

The recall was first issued on April 7 to involve 40,780 pounds of cooked chicken products. It was expanded again on April 26 to bring the total to nearly 4.6 million pounds. The second expansion, issued on May 6, brought the total to more than 5.2 million pounds.

All products included in the recall are fully cooked chicken products, and all are being recalled because they might be contaminated with extraneous materials. According to a press release from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the products in the latest recall expansion might be contaminated with extraneous metal materials. Products earlier recalled were believed to have extraneous materials that include plastic, rubber, metal or wood.

The latest products to be recalled were produced on July 11, 2015, September 15, 2015, and September 16, 2015, according to FSIS. Those products include:

• 25-lb boxes containing 3 – 8.33-lb clear bags in a box of “Pierce Chicken/ Wing Zings Fully Cooked Hot and Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings 1^st and 2^nd Sections” with use by/sell by date of 09/15/2016 and a packaging date of 09/15/2015;
• 15-lb boxes containing 2 – 7.5 clear bags in a box of “Pierce Chicken/ Wing Zings Fully Cooked Hot and Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings” with a use by/sell by date of 07/11/2016 and a packaging date of 07/11/2015;
• 15-lb boxes containing 2 – 7.5-lb clear bags in a box of “Pierce Chicken/ Wing Zings Fully Cooked Hot And Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings” with a use by/sell by date of 09/16/2016 and a packaging date of 9/16/2015;
• 10-lb boxes containing 2 – 5-lb clear bags in a box of “Sweet Georgia Brand Fully Cooked Hot and Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings” with a use by/sell by date of 07/11/2016 and a packaging date of 07/11/2015;
• 10-lb boxes containing 2 – 5-lb clear bags in a box of “Sweet Georgia Brand Fully Cooked Hot and Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings 1^st and 2^nd Sections” with a use by/sell by date of 09/15/2016 and a packaging date of 09/15/2015;
• 25-lb boxes containing 3 – 8.33-lb clear bags in a box of “Pierce Chicken/ Wing Zings Fully Cooked Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings 1^st and 2^nd Sections” with use by/sell by date of 09/15/2016 and a packaging date of 09/15/2015.

Products included in the earlier recalls are listed in this WATTAgNet report.