A recently hired employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, responded to questions from an AFP journalist outside the Perdue Farms Chicken and poultry processing factory in Salisbury, Maryland on May 2, 2020. This comes as coronavirus cases have surged in poultry farms and plants, which are a key industry on the Delmarva Peninsula. The workers, mainly Haitians and Latinos, are essential for the regional economy and cannot afford to miss work due to fear of losing their jobs.

Moreover, Perdue and the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a recall of products manufactured in March 2024. The affected items, packaged in vacuum-sealed bags, include 22-oz. packages of Perdue Breaded Chicken Tenders, Butcher Box Organic Chicken Breast Nuggets, and Perdue Simply Smart Organics Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets.

Fortunately, there have been no confirmed injuries or adverse reactions related to the consumption of these products, according to FSIS and Perdue. However, FSIS is concerned that the products may still be in consumers’ freezers. In response, the FSIS issued an official notice urging consumers who have purchased these products not to consume them.

The recall is reminiscent of a similar incident last November when Tyson Foods had to recall nearly 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after metal pieces were found in the dinosaur-shaped products. Recalls due to the presence of plastic fragments, rocks, bits of insects, and other “extraneous” materials have also occurred after finding their way into packaged goods.