Hormel recalls nearly 5M pounds of chicken over possible metal contamination

Hormel Meals is recalling almost 5 million kilos of ready-to-eat frozen hen merchandise from foodservice that could be “contaminated with metallic fragments,” in response to a Saturday announcement from the U.S. Division of Agriculture’s Meals Security and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The Austin, Minnesota-based firm traced the contamination to metallic fragments from a conveyor belt used throughout manufacturing, the company mentioned. The items different in measurement and had been roughly 2mm by 17mm, FSIS advised FOX Enterprise.

The issue was found after Hormel acquired a number of complaints from foodservice prospects — together with resorts, eating places and different organizations that serve meals to folks — reporting that metallic had been discovered of their frozen hen breast and thigh merchandise, the company mentioned.

The affected gadgets, offered underneath the HORMEL® FIRE BRAISED™ label, had been distributed nationwide between February 10 and September 19, 2025.

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Hormel Meals is recalling almost 5 million kilos of ready-to-eat frozen hen merchandise from foodservice that could be “contaminated with items of metallic.” (SeongJoon Cho/File/Bloomberg/Getty Photos)

“Hormel Meals Gross sales, LLC is voluntarily recalling 215,258 circumstances, or a complete of 4,874,815 kilos, from 5 HORMEL circumstances.® FIRE BRAISEDTM gadgets shipped to foodservice operators in the US as they could comprise international metallic materials,” Hormel advised FOX Enterprise on Sunday.

The recall consists of bulk packing containers of boneless hen breast and thigh meat weighing 13 to 24 kilos, with merchandise codes 65009, 77531, 46750, 86206 and 134394 printed on the labels.

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The U.S. Division of Agriculture’s Meals Security and Inspection Service mentioned the hen could have been contaminated with metallic fragments from a conveyor belt. (iStock)

Each FSIS and Hormel emphasised that the merchandise weren’t offered in grocery shops or on to customers.

“This product is just offered to foodservice prospects and can’t be bought immediately by customers. All prospects who could have acquired the affected product have been notified,” the corporate added.

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Hormel mentioned the affected hen was not offered on to customers in grocery shops. (Jeff Pachoud/File/AFP by way of / Getty Photos)

FSIS warned that some recalled merchandise should still be saved in industrial kitchen freezers and has carried out routine checks to make sure the product is not obtainable to customers.

“These companies are urged to not serve the product,” the company mentioned within the announcement. “This product needs to be thrown away.”

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Hormel emphasised to FOX Enterprise that “no different HORMEL® merchandise are affected and no sicknesses or accidents have been reported in reference to this recall.”