Major Brand Issues Urgent Recall Of More Than 4 Million Pounds Of Frozen Chicken

If you have a craving for a chicken sandwich from your favorite restaurant, you might want to take a rain check. The USDA has announced a massive recall involving frozen chicken produced by Hormel Foods and distributed to a company that serves businesses all over the nation. These items were delivered to various restaurants as well as cafeterias and other institutions. This recall is estimated to affect a whopping 4,874,815 pounds of chicken products, which have been deemed unsafe due to the possible presence of metal pieces in the food. 

The contaminated chicken was distributed to an Erie, Pennsylvania-based restaurant supply company called HRI Commercial Food Service between February 10, 2025 and September 19, 2025. Boneless chicken thighs and breasts from Hormel were included, and businesses are urged to look for a code reading P-223 within the USDA inspection mark to determine whether they're in possession of recalled products. If so, the frozen chicken should be discarded immediately. Fortunately, no related injuries have been reported, but consumers are encouraged to contact Hormel Foods at 1-800-523-4635 if they have any concerns. Folks can also contact the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline by calling 888-MPHotline. 

Hormel's recent food recall came to light after customer complaints arose regarding pieces of metal within frozen chicken. The company determined that a conveyor belt may be to blame. This isn't the first time Hormel has experienced this kind of issue. In what was one of the United States' biggest pork recalls, the company pulled over 228,000 pounds of canned meat in 2018 because the affected products contained small pieces of metal. During this earlier incident, Hormel also became aware of the problem after consumers reported injuries related to the tainted food. 

If you've noticed an increase in recalls over recent years, you might assume it means that food has become less safe. However, improved reporting and traceability are more likely to play a role. So the greater frequency may actually point to a safety system that's working as intended.