Some Perdue Frozen, Breaded Chicken May Contain Plastic and Blue Dye, USDA Says
The agency issued a health alert for products purchased at BJ’s Wholesale Club
By Lisa L. Gill
A consumer complaint led the Department of Agriculture to issue a safety alert for Perdue’s Frozen Gluten Free Chicken Breast Tenders. The product, which was sold in BJ’s Wholesale Clubs nationwide, may be contaminated with small pieces of clear plastic and blue dye. No injuries have been reported.
The USDA said a recall wasn’t issued because the product is no longer being sold in stores.
The tenders are packaged in 42-ounce plastic bags. They have a “best if used by” date of 07/12/23 on the back of the package and lot number 2193 above the date.
“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,” Jeff Shaw, senior vice president of food safety and quality for Perdue, said in a press release.
“If you bought these chicken tenders and have a package in your freezer, don’t eat them without checking to make sure that they aren’t part of the affected batch,” says James E. Rogers, PhD, director of food safety research and testing at CR. “Plastic in food could cause injury to your mouth or teeth if you bite down on it.”
The product should be thrown away or returned to the store where you bought it, the USDA says. Consumers with questions can call the Perdue Foods hotline at 866-866-3703.
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