Foster Farms is recalling nearly 148,000 pounds of chicken sold at Costco warehouse stores after some customers found pieces of hard, clear plastic in their frozen meat, federal inspectors said.
The fully cooked, breaded chicken breast patties are sold frozen in 80-ounce plastic bags. The products were produced Aug. 11 and the bags include a "best by" date of Aug. 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement Saturday.
The possibly contaminated chicken patties were shipped to Costco distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah and Washington and could have been sent to Costco retail warehouses, authorities said.
The federal government is concerned that some of the contaminated meat is already in people's freezers and is urging consumers not to eat the chicken. The product should be thrown away or returned to where it was purchased. There are no reports of any injuries, but the USDA said the products could cause injury if eaten.
The frozen chicken has the establishment number "P-33901" and lot code "3*2223**" in inkjet print on the back edge of the packaging as well as the number "7527899724" under the barcode.
The chicken was prepared at the Farmerville, La., facility and exclusively for Costco, Foster Farms said in a written statement.
"Food safety is of the highest concern to Foster Farms — a concern we know is shared by our customers and the families we serve. Foster Farms maintains rigorous food safety protocols and has taken immediate steps to remove the identified product from commerce," the company said in an email.
Consumers with questions about the recall can call the Foster Farms Consumer Hotline at (800) 338-8051 or send an email to info@fosterfarms.com.
