The United States Department of Agriculture is warning shoppers who have recently purchased a pack of Perdue's SimplySmart gluten-free chicken nuggets about a possible contamination. This time it’s not a foodborne illnesses, but rather wood particles that found their way into the meat.
Perdue is recalling more than 68,000 pounds of gluten-free chicken nuggets sold nationwide out of precaution. These nuggets were shipped to supermarkets across the nation, and have expiration dates that extend well into the fall of 2019.
According to the USDA, the ready-to-eat chicken nuggets bear the UPC bar code number "72745-80656" on the label. The recalled chicken was produced in October 2018, and the "Best If Used By Date" is labeled as October 25, 2019. Customers are asked to immediately dispose of the product, or bring it back to the store for a full refund.
"The problem was discovered when the firm received three consumer complaints that wood was found in the product," the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement.
There have not been any confirmed reports of illness due to the wood contamination, but the USDA is asking those who have possibly consumed wood particles to consult their healthcare provider.
Perdue, who launched the voluntary recall, told CNN that it's doing so out of caution and doesn't expect any more customers to be affected by wood bits—a "minimal amount" of packages were affected by this recall.
