Tyson Foods recalls US nuggets after metal pieces found

American meat processor Tyson Foods says it is recalling around 30,000lb (13,608kg) of chicken nuggets, after metal pieces were found in the product.

The firm said the voluntary recall is "out of an abundance of caution".

The nuggets were produced at one facility and shipped to distributors in nine US states including Alabama, California and Illinois.

The US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it had received one report of a minor oral injury.

The FSIS said anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

The dinosaur-shaped "Fun Nuggets" affected by the recall have a used by date of 4 September 2024.

"A limited number of consumers have reported they found small, pliable metal pieces in the product, and out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling this product," Tyson said in a statement.

Tyson added that customers who had purchased the product should discard it and contact the firm.

This is not the first time Tyson, the largest US meat producer by sales, had to exercise a recall.

Last year in November the firm recalled ground beef, after finding pieces of "mirror-like" material in the meat.

In 2019, the company recalled a batch of its chicken nuggets after customers found pieces of blue rubber inside.

That same year, it recalled millions of pounds of chicken strips following concerns they might be contaminated with metal.

In 2022 Tyson shut a number of chicken processing plants in the US due to a slump in demand.

But as the price of beef and pork jumped higher than how much a chicken would cost, many consumers switched to the cheaper poultry.

This raised hopes that the recent spike in demand could boost profits for food companies.

Tyson is due to report its latest quarterly earnings on 13 November.