Consumers who bought Banquet Chicken Strips Meal this summer should check their box lot numbers.
Conagra Brands, which owns Chef Boyardee and Orville Redenbacher's, has recalled 245,366 pounds of frozen chicken TV dinners. The FSIS warns that Chicken Strips Meals may include plastic.
Conagra was aware of the probable contamination when a consumer complained of a plastic piece in the microwaveable TV supper injuring their mouth.
No further injuries or health issues have been reported, however consumers should check their Banquet Chicken Strips Meal purchases in the freezer.
The product is recalled in three batches: The problematic boxes were produced on June 20, July 11, and July 17 this year and have best-by dates of December 11, 2024, and January 1 and 7, 2025.
The carton sides also have the lot numbers 5009317120, 5009319220, and 5009319820 and the establishment number "EST. P-9".
Unfortunately, neither FSIS nor Conagra has disclosed the plastic pollutants or how they entered the frozen dinners.
Since the triggering piece was large and intrusive enough to cause oral harm, these are likely manufacturing or packaging errors rather than microplastics in processed meals.
While it may not seem as deadly as other types of product contamination, stiff and/or sharp extraneous elements in food are nevertheless quite dangerous.
Since contaminated Banquet Chicken Strips Meals were distributed nationwide, check any you have at home and throw them out or return them to the store.