Costco chicken patties recall 2022: Best by date, lot code, and everything to know amid plastic contamination risk

On Saturday, October 29, 2022, the USDA announced that Foster Farms is recalling its August 11 batch of frozen chicken patties that were shipped to Costco.

The recall has been issued owing to a plastic contamination risk, and is applicable to approximately 148,000 pounds of fully-cooked frozen chicken breast patties that may be contaminated with "foreign material," specifically "hard clear pieces of plastic."

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The patties that were shipped to Costco have a "High - Class I" risk

According to a report on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website, the brand's "80-oz. plastic bag packages containing 20 pieces of Chicken Patties Breaded Chicken Breast Patties with Rib Meant" were recalled.

The recall is classified as a "High - Class I risk," which FSIS defines as,

"A reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

Product and its identification numbers as given by FSIS (Image via FSIS)

The affected product packages have an expiration date of August 11, 2023.

The shipped batches have an establishment number of "P-33901," and a lot code of "3*2223**" both printed on inkjet on the back of the packaging. Additionally, the packaging has a "7527899724" printed under the barcode.

Example of a Case Label as given by FSIS (Image via FSIS)

The plastic contamination issue was discovered when Foster Farms notified the FSIS department of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) about consumer complaints reporting hard, clear plastic embedded in the product.

The announcement states:

"There have been no confirmed reports of injury associated with consumption of this product, but FSIS believes the hard plastic pieces could be sharp and possibly cause an injury. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider."

Those who have purchased the product are urged not to consume it. They can either throw it away or return it to the store that they purchased it from. Retailers have also been asked not to sell the contaminated patties.

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Where have the products been shipped?

The packages in question were shipped to Costco distribution centers on the west coast across five states, namely Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington.

Furthermore, these products may have also been shipped to Costco retail locations.

In case of questions about the recall, consumers can contact the Foster Farms consumer hotline at 800-338-8051 or email at [email protected].

For questions related to food safety, one can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or live chat via "Ask USDA" (10 am to 6 pm ET) Monday through Friday.

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Costco Wholesale Corporation, or simply Costco, is an American MNC operating a chain of "membership-only" warehouses. Customers must buy a membership to access the warehouse and make purchases.

Foster Farms is an American poultry company founded in 1939 in California. It has operations running through the west coast and a few on the east coast. They offer a variety of chicken and turkey products.