Tyson recalling frozen chicken strips after 2 said they found pieces of metal

Tyson Foods has recalled 69,093 pounds of frozen chicken strips after two people reported that they found pieces of metal in the food, the U.S. Agriculture Department said this week.

It was the second time this year that the company has recalled some of its products.

Tyson said in a statement on its website that it was going ahead with the recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We continue to investigate this matter but currently believe it’s an isolated matter,” Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson, said Friday.

The Agriculture Department said no one had reported getting sick from the products. “Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a health care provider,” the department said in a statement.

The items that were recalled were all produced at the same plant in Rogers, Ark., on Nov. 30, 2018. They include 65,313 pounds of Tyson’s fully cooked Buffalo-style chicken strips and fully cooked crispy chicken strips, which are sold to retailers in 25-ounce bags. Tyson also recalled 3,780 pounds of “Spare Time” branded fully cooked Buffalo-style chicken breast strips, which are sold to retailers and correctional facilities in 20-pound boxes.

All the packages in question have an establishment code of “P7221” and a “use by” date of Nov. 30, 2019. They were sent to distribution centers in 25 states, including Texas, Arkansas, Connecticut and New York. The full list of retail stores that received the products will be posted on the Food Safety and Inspection Service website when it is available.

Customers who have the recalled products in their freezers should not consume them.

“These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” the Agriculture Department said. They can also call Tyson’s consumer relations department 866-886-8456.

In January, the company recalled 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after pieces of “soft, blue rubber” were found in the food. In that instance, Tyson said the rubber came from part of the seal on a piece of equipment used to produce the nuggets.

Perdue, another large meat supplier, recalled 16,000 pounds of its chicken nuggets in January because of misbranding and undeclared allergens.

Food is the most common source of salmonella infection, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates is the cause of 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths every year.