Costco Chicken Patties Are Recalled Due To Plastic Contamination

Feeding a family is hard. Feeding a family on a budget is even harder. That's one of the reasons why so many people obsess over Costco — shoppers love Costco's really low prices. But now, an easy and affordable chicken product at Costco has been recalled, throwing a wrench into many a plan for easy weeknight meals and lunches. Costco's Foster Farms fully cooked frozen chicken breast patties have been recalled for a scary reason, and because the product in question is frozen and has a best-by date of August 2023, some are worried that people might not realize they're in possession of the recalled product until it's too late.

According to Food Safety News, the Foster Farms recall includes 148,000 pounds of frozen, fully-cooked chicken breast patties. They might be contaminated with hard, clear pieces of plastic, which could cause injury or pose a choking hazard, though luckily so far no injuries stemming from eating the recalled product have been reported. Still, folks in five states need to be on the lookout for the recalled product in their freezers, because the potential for harm is there. 

Regular Costco shoppers will need to be vigilant about any Foster Farms frozen chicken breast patties purchased within the last few months. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, any 80-ounce bags produced on August 11, 2022, are of particular concern. In fact, regulators are specifically on the lookout for bags produced on this date that were subsequently sold in Arizona, California, Utah, and Washington. 

According to the department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, anyone who thinks they may have purchased the recalled patties should look for the following on the packaging: a best-by date of August 11, 2023, establishment number P-33901, and a lot code of 3*2223. Although the agency is specifically targeting those sold in the four aforementioned states, the recent press release also notes that these products could have made their way to other parts of the country as well. Those who have purchased the recalled product should throw it away, or return it to the Costco where it was purchased. 

To some, it might seem like there has been a lot of food recalls lately, from hard plastic pieces prompting a Fresh Creative Foods brand recall in 20 states, to an ice cream recall initiated thanks to pieces of plastic or metal being found inside. But really, extraneous material/foreign matter recalls aren't all that common. There were only nine reported in 2021, and just four in 2020. But it does happen, which is why it's important to stay up to date on all of the current food recalls. After all, the last thing anyone wants is to bite into a chicken sandwich and cut their mouth on a piece of random plastic.