Customers who went to a BJ’s Wholesale Club and bought frozen gluten-free chicken breast tenders may want to check their freezers after the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a warning about some bags of the product.
Some bags may have contamination in the form of blue dye and small pieces of clear plastic, according to the USDA.
A recall was not requested because Perdue Foods withdrew the product and it is no longer available for purchase.
However, the USDA said it was “concerned that some product may be in consumers’ freezers.”
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” the department warned.
The warning applies to 42-ounce packages labeled “PERDUE CHICKEN BREAST TENDERS GLUTEN FREE” with an expiration date of July 12, 2023, and a lot number of 2193.
Public Health Alert for Perdue’s Frozen Gluten Free Chicken Breast Tenders
The chicken breast tenders may be contaminated with extraneous materials
https://t.co/lhTQc4bjK4 pic.twitter.com/7W9Ar3zLuY— Recall Insider (@Recallinsider) August 24, 2022
There is also an establishment number of “P-33944” just below the expiration date on the back of the bag.
The withdrawn product was sold exclusively in BJ’s Wholesale Club stores, Perdue said in a news release.
The product was shipped to stores across the nation.
“We determined the source of the material to be blue ink and a small piece of plastic from an ink pen cartridge that was inadvertently introduced into the raw material before the tenders were breaded,” said Jeff Shaw, senior vice president of food safety and quality for Perdue.
“This likely resulted in a few packages that potentially contain the substance; however, out of an abundance of caution, we decided to voluntarily withdraw all packages of tenders produced on the day of the incident,” Shaw said.
The problem was discovered when a consumer reported that a chicken tender contained a small piece of clear plastic and blue dye.
The USDA said no illnesses have been reported due to the contamination.
Consumers with questions may call the Perdue hotline at 866-866-3703, according to the USDA.
The USDA has a toll-free meat and poultry hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). There is also a live chat option available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
