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A voluntary recall of certain frozen fully cooked chicken products has been conducted by Tyson Foods because of the food safety problems identified in two incidents, one in 2023 and another one in 2021. The primary focus of the 2023 recall involved Tyson® Brand Frozen, Fully Cooked Chicken “Fun Nuggets” and related chicken patty products due to the possible presence of foreign material, specifically metal fragments. The recall notice was issued by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) after consumer complaints reported finding small metal pieces in the product. [1]

USA Tyson Foods Recall: Metal Contamination in Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken “Fun Nuggets” and Earlier Listeria-Related Chicken Recall

Recall May 30, 2025

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Category of the Product: Food & Beverages

Type of the Product: Frozen Ready-to-Eat Chicken Products

Reason for Announcement: Possible foreign material contamination (2023) and possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination (2021)

A voluntary recall of certain frozen fully cooked chicken products has been conducted by Tyson Foods because of the food safety problems identified in two incidents, one in 2023 and another one in 2021.

The primary focus of the 2023 recall involved Tyson® Brand Frozen, Fully Cooked Chicken “Fun Nuggets” and related chicken patty products due to the possible presence of foreign material, specifically metal fragments. The recall notice was issued by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) after consumer complaints reported finding small metal pieces in the product. [1]

In 2021, Tyson Foods has voluntarily recalled frozen, fully cooked ready-to-eat chicken products due to the potential presence of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. This food safety problem concerned products manufactured at the Dexter, Missouri plant and distributed to both retail, institutional and food-service customers. [2]

Both incidents illustrate the critical role of preventive food safety management, hazard management techniques, traceability systems, sanitation procedures and effective recalls in the production of ready-to-eat poultry products.  

Reason for Warning

2023 Recall – Foreign Material Contamination

The recall was announced in 2023 in relation to the possibility of metal fragments in frozen chicken products. The presence of foreign materials is very harmful physically as it can result in swallowing of metal fragments, which will potentially injure the consumer, choke him, or even dental damage.

The issue was identified after consumers reported finding metal pieces in the products. Although the contamination appeared limited to specific lots, the potential risk was considered sufficient to justify a voluntary recall. [3]

2021 Recall – Possible Listeria monocytogenes Contamination

In 2021, a recall warning related to frozen, ready-to-eat cooked chicken products was initiated because the products might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This type of hazard affected various types of ready-to-eat chicken products delivered to retail stores and food service establishments.

Listeria monocytogenes is a biological hazard, which may result in severe illness and even death in vulnerable consumer groups such as pregnant women, seniors, and immunosuppressed individuals. [4]

The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) viewed these events equally significant for food safety.

Root Cause Analysis

2023 Recall – Foreign Material Contamination

According to the recall notice issued by USDA FSIS and Tyson Foods press release, the 2023 recall was prompted following consumer complaints reported finding metal fragments in the chicken products.

There is no information provided in these official recalls concerning the source and equipment causing the contamination in question. Foreign material contamination issues in the food industry may typically be linked to such things as:

  • Deterioration or breakage of the equipment used during processing  
  • Lack of effective foreign material detection system
  • Mechanical issues with the production line equipment
  • Lack of proper inspections and monitoring controls  
  • Inadequate preventive maintenance measures  

The incident highlights the importance of metal detection systems, X-ray inspection procedures, and equipment integrity monitoring in food manufacturing environments. [1]

USA Tyson Foods Recall Metal Contamination in Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken “Fun Nuggets” and Earlier Listeria-Related Chicken Recall

2021 Recall – Possible Listeria monocytogenes Contamination

The 2021 recall was initiated after USDA FSIS environmental samples collected at Tyson’s facility tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

While the official notices did not provide a detailed technical root-cause analysis, contamination events involving Listeria in ready-to-eat food manufacturing environments are commonly associated with factors such as:

  • Environmental contamination within processing plants  
  • Inadequate sanitation procedures
  • Gaps in environmental monitoring programs
  • Cross-contamination risks during post-cooking handling
  • Insufficient hygienic zoning controls

The recall resulted in increased focus on sanitation verification, environmental monitoring, and preventive food safety controls in ready-to-eat poultry manufacturing. [2]

Product Description

Product Name

Product Type

Issue Identified

Recall Year

Tyson® Brand Frozen, Fully Cooked Chicken “Fun Nuggets”

Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets

Possible metal fragments

2023

Tyson® Brand Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken Patty Products

Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken Products

Possible foreign material contamination

2023

Tyson Frozen Fully Cooked Ready-to-Eat Chicken Products

Frozen Ready-to-Eat Chicken Products

Possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination

2021

Multiple frozen ready-to-eat chicken products distributed across retail channels were included in the recalls.

Issue Identified

The primary issues identified across the recalls included:

  1. Physical Contamination Risk (2023)
  • Possible presence of metal shards in frozen chicken products
  • Potential choking or injury hazards
  • Risk of accidental ingestion leading to consumer harm [5]
  1. Biological Contamination Risk (2021)
  • Possible contamination by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes  
  • Risk of foodborne illness outbreaks
  • Public health concerns for vulnerable populations

Although not every package was confirmed to be contaminated, the USDA FSIS considered the potential risks sufficient to justify precautionary recalls. [6]

Concerns from Regulatory Body

As per the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of USDA, producers of ready-to-eat poultry products have a duty to ensure strict food safety practices that prevent physical and biological contaminants.

Regulatory concerns associated with these recalls included:

  • Necessity of establishing systems for contamination prevention and monitoring
  • Significance of having proper sanitation and preventive maintenance processes  
  • Requirement for effective foreign material inspection controls
  • Importance of robust traceability and recall preparedness systems
  • Consumer safety risks associated with ready-to-eat poultry products

The USDA FSIS supported the recalls as preventive actions to remove potentially affected products from the market and reduce public health risks.

Manufacturer / Consumer Guidance

For Consumers:

  • Do not consume the affected products
  • Check packaging details and recall information carefully
  • Discard affected products or return them to the place of purchase
  • Monitor official USDA FSIS and Tyson Foods recall announcements for updates

For Manufacturer:

  • Ensure that no more of the affected products reach the consumers  
  • Review production lines and contamination-control systems as part of corrective actions
  • Strengthen metal detection and foreign material inspection systems
  • Improve sanitation verification and environmental monitoring programs
  • Conduct preventive maintenance inspections
  • Implement corrective and preventive action (CAPA) procedures to reduce future contamination risks [3]

FRL Commentary

These examples from Tyson show how physical hazard as well as microbiological contamination can pose serious threats to the safety of food, consumer trust, and food manufacturing processes in frozen ready-to-eat poultry production.

From a Food Research Lab perspective, manufacturers should strengthen:

  • Foreign material detection system  
  • X-ray and metal detector validation procedures
  • Environmental monitoring programs
  • Hygienic zoning and sanitation controls
  • Preventive maintenance schedules
  • Traceability and recall management systems
  • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation
  • Real-time quality monitoring systems

A contamination incident can cause disruption of production processes, product withdrawal, damage to reputation, and increased inspection pressure by regulatory agencies. Preventive food safety management is considered one of the most effective methods in decreasing the chances of contamination.

Conclusion

The Tyson Foods recalls from 2021 and 2023 highlight the importance of strong food safety controls in frozen ready-to-eat poultry manufacturing. Both foreign material contamination and potential pathogen risks demonstrate the need for effective sanitation, monitoring, traceability, and preventive quality systems to protect consumers and maintain regulatory compliance.

Food Research Lab supports food manufacturers with advanced food safety solutions, contamination risk assessment, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance services to help develop safer, market-ready food products.

References

  1. Tyson Foods. (2023, November). Limited amounts of Tyson® brand frozen fully cooked chicken fun nuggets recalled. https://www.tysonfoods.com/news/news-releases/2023/11/limited-amounts-tysonr-brand-frozen-fully-cooked-chicken-fun-nuggets
  2. Tyson Foods. (2021, July). Tyson Foods voluntarily recalls frozen fully cooked chicken products. https://www.tysonfoods.com/news/news-releases/2021/7/tyson-foods-voluntarily-recalls-frozen-fully-cooked-chicken
  3. S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. (2023). Tyson Foods, Inc. recalls chicken patty product due to possible foreign matter contamination. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/tyson-foods-inc–recalls-chicken-patty-product-due-possible-foreign-matter
  4. S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. (2021). Tyson Foods, Inc. recalls ready-to-eat chicken products due to possible Listeria contamination. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/tyson-foods-inc–recalls-ready-eat-chicken-products-due-possible-listeria
  5. National Public Radio. (2023, November 5). Tyson recalls chicken nuggets after consumers report finding metal pieces. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/05/1210812866/chicken-nuggets-recall-tyson
  6. Food Business News. (2021). Tyson Foods recalling 8.5 million lbs. of RTE chicken. https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/19025-tyson-foods-recalling-85-million-lbs-of-rte-chicken
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