Dive Brief:
- Sanderson Farms is recalling more than 550,000 pounds of chicken products that may have been contaminated with metal shavings.
- The company was alerted to the issue by a processing facility that reported finding metal pieces in the chicken products, which had been caused by an ice-making machine that malfunctioned during production.
- The company said in a statement that none of the chicken had been sent to grocery stores or packed up to sell directly to consumers, and "Sanderson noted that all of the products were purchased by three customers who intended to further process the chicken to make their own chicken products," CNBC reported.
Dive Insight:
Though Sanderson informed the three customers involved about the recall and no chicken products were shipped to grocery stores, the USDA is still telling consumers "not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," according to a news release.
In its latest earnings report, the company affirmed its dedication to raising its stock price by boosting volume, which includes building more plants like its new facility in Palestine, TX.
Prior to its merger with H.J. Heinz Co., Kraft announced a recall of macaroni and cheese boxes due to potential contamination with metal pieces earlier this year.