Hormel Foods Corporation has announced a significant recall involving approximately 4,874,815 pounds of frozen chicken products due to concerns of metal contamination. The announcement, made on October 25, has raised alarms among foodservice providers across the nation, particularly affecting hotel and restaurant supply stores.
The recall stems from reports received by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which revealed that some Hormel frozen chicken products may contain pieces of metal. The specific products implicated in the recall include five different varieties of Hormel Fire Braised Meats, which are marketed as ready-to-eat options for foodservice establishments.
The affected items are:
– Hormel Fire Braised Meats All Natural Boneless Chicken Thigh Meat, packaged in 13.9-pound cases with item code 65009.
– Hormel Fire Braised Meats All Natural Boneless Chicken Breast, available in two different packaging sizes—13.8-pound cases with item code 77531 and 13.8-pound cases with item code 4675.
– An additional variety is the Hormel Fire Braised Meats All Natural Boneless Chicken Breast, in a 23.8-pound case with item code 86206.
– Lastly, Boneless Chicken Breast with Rib Meat is also recalled, sold in 13.95-pound cases with the item code 134394.
All recalled products bear the establishment number “P-223,” which is found inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The distribution of the affected chicken products occurred between February 10 and September 19, 2025. According to FSIS, the products were sent to Commercial Food Service locations widely across the country. This means that the recalled items may still be present in the freezers of various hotels and restaurants that sourced their supplies from HRI, a wholesale supplier for the foodservice industry.
The company jumped into action upon investigating the issues raised by foodservice customers who reported finding metal fragments in their chicken products. The contamination was traced back to the conveyor belt used in the production process. Fortunately, Hormel has not received any confirmed reports of injury associated with the consumption of the affected products.
Businesses that find these products in their inventories are strongly urged to dispose of them immediately. Consumers looking for further information can get in touch with Hormel Foods Customer Relations via the company’s official website or by calling their support line at 1-800-523-4635. For any food safety inquiries, individuals can also contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or reach out through email at MPHotline@usda.gov.
