Lead-contaminated dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets sold at Walmart have triggered a nationwide public health alert, with federal officials warning the products may still be sitting in consumers’ freezers.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said frozen, ready-to-eat chicken nuggets produced by Dorada Foods may contain unsafe levels of lead.
The alert covers 29-oz. bags of “Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets” produced on Feb. 10 with a “best if used by” date of Feb. 10, 2027.
The bags bear the lot code 0416DPO1215 and establishment number P44164, both of which are printed on the packaging.
The products were shipped to Walmart locations nationwide, according to the feds.
Federal officials said a recall was not requested because the items are no longer available for purchase, but warned that people may still have them stored at home.
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,” said the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. The contamination was discovered “during routine surveillance sampling conducted by a state partner,” the official notice stated.
Health officials warned that lead exposure is particularly harmful for vulnerable populations including pregnant women, infants and young children.
“There is no safe amount of lead exposure,” the agency said.
The amount of lead detected in the nuggets could be as much as five times higher than the Food and Drug Administration’s interim reference level of 2.2 micrograms for children, according to FSIS.
Consumers with questions can contact Dorada Foods or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.
Food safety experts say the contamination likely did not originate in the chicken itself but in added ingredients used during processing.
“It is not likely in the chicken itself, but in the breading or spices that are added to the exterior of the chicken. Lead would not be expected in a chicken product like this unless there was some inadvertent contamination in the breading covering the chicken pieces,” food safety expert Bill Marler told The Post.
“There is no safe level for lead consumption — especially in children. The problem is that any development problems are difficult to spot and might occur years in the future,” Marler added.
