Metal shavings prompt chicken recall

Sanderson Farms Inc.is voluntarily recalling 551,090 pounds of chicken products after a sample contained foreign material. In addition to the Sanderson Farms chicken recall, there have been seven other food product recalls this month and the second such involving products possibly contaminated with metal shavings.

None of the products that are the subject of this recall were shipped to grocery stores or packed directly for consumers.

Bottom line: You should still be fine to eat all that lean, protein-rich chicken.

An investigation revealed the contamination happened because of a malfunction with an ice-making machine used during production. Rather, the ice packed chicken products were sent to three customers who would also further process them into chicken products.

“YOUNG CHICKEN PARTS JUMBO BONELESS SKINLESS BREAST FILLETS WITH RIB MEAT” with case code 45017.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number EST.

A press release issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stated that the problem with the product was first discovered when the firm received a complaint from a processing facility.

70- and 1800-pound combination cases that read “FRESH YOUNG CHICKEN PARTS BREAST FRAMES” with case code 45969. “P-247” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the packages. Unlike the Sanderson Farms recall, however, products involved in the Johnsonville recall actually did make it to consumers’ homes.

Laurel-based Sanderson is the third-largest poultry producer in the nation, with expectations of processing more than 3 billion pounds of meat in fiscal 2015.