58M pounds of corn dogs and sausage-on-a-stick products recalled because wood pieces may be inside

NEW YORK – About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because pieces of wood may be embedded in the batter, with several consumers reporting injuries to date.

According to a Saturday notice published by the Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall covers select “State Fair Corn Dogs on a Stick” and “Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick” products from Texas-based Hillshire Brands, which is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods.

The contamination problem was discovered after Hillshire received multiple consumer complaints, the service notes, five of which involved injuries. The company later determined that a “limited number” of these products included “extraneous pieces of wooden stick within the batter,” Tyson said in a corresponding announcement — adding that it opted to initiate a recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

The recalled corn dogs and sausage-on-a-stick goods were produced between March 17 and as recently Friday, per Saturday’s recall notices. Tyson, which is headquartered in Arkansas, says the issue was isolated to one facility located in Haltom City, Texas.

FSIS is worried that some of these recalled products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers in households across the U.S. — as well as some schools and other institutions. In addition to being sold online and to retailers nationwide, the agency noted Saturday, these products were also sold to school districts and Defense Department facilities.

Consumers in possession of the now recalled “State Fair Corn Dogs on a Stick” and “Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick” are urged to throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.

To determine which corn dogs and other sausage goods are subject to this recall, consumers should check the product’s name, use by dates and other identifying information published online by the FSIS and Tyson. The products being recalled should also have an establishment number of “EST-582” or “P-894” printed on the packaging.

It’s unclear if consumers who purchased these now-recalled products will be eligible for a refund. The Associated Press reached out to contacts for Hillshire Brands and Tyson for further information Sunday.

Foreign object contamination is one of the top reasons for food recalls in the U.S. Beyond plastic, metal fragments, bits of bugs and more “extraneous” materials have prompted recalls by making their way into packaged goods.