A sweeping voluntary recall has been issued covering nearly 58 million pounds of corn dogs and sausage-on-a-stick items made by Hillshire Brands, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods. The recall follows multiple consumer complaints and confirmed injuries after small pieces of wood were found in the batter of these products.
What’s Going On
- The recall affects select State Fair brand corn dogs and several Jimmy Dean “pancakes & sausage on a stick” products.
- The issue was traced to one facility in Haltom City, Texas, where during production, wooden stick fragments apparently entered the batter line before the items were coated and cooked.
- Items in question were manufactured between March 17, 2025 and September 26, 2025.
Scope of the Recall
- Affected items were distributed nationwide in the U.S., including to grocery retailers, online sales platforms, school food services, and Department of Defense food facilities.
- Product packaging bears establishment numbers EST-582 or P-894, which help consumers identify whether a product they have is part of the recall.
- The company is emphasizing that this recall is “out of an abundance of caution,” meaning they want to prevent any further risk even if only a limited number of units are affected.
Health Risks & Reported Cases
- At least five injuries have been reported so far. These complaints came from consumers who encountered hard wooden fragments in the food items, which can pose a choking hazard, cause puncture or dental damage, or potentially digestive tract injury.
- Beyond these, multiple consumer complaints triggered the investigation and eventual recall.
What Consumers Should Do
- Anyone who has purchased any of the affected State Fair or Jimmy Dean sausage-or-corn-dog products is advised not to consume them.
- They should either discard the items or return them to the place of purchase.
- Consumers are encouraged to check their freezer or refrigerator storage, including those of institutions like schools, because these products may remain in households or institutional stock.
Why This Matters
- The scale of the recall is large both in quantity and in distribution, meaning many consumers could be affected.
- It raises broader concerns about food safety controls in large-scale processing facilities, especially in lines involving foreign-object contamination.
- It also serves as a reminder that even heavily branded convenience food products aren’t immune to quality-control failures.
What Comes Next
- Hillshire Brands, along with regulatory agencies (including the federal food safety inspection service), will be monitoring and enforcing removal of the affected products from shelves.
- They will likely conduct audits or inspections to identify how wooden fragments entered the production process, and to adjust protocols to avoid repeat incidents.
- Refunds or compensation processes may be established for consumers who have purchased recalled items (details may vary by retailer).
Bottom Line
This recall underscores how a small lapse in production processes — even something that might seem minor like an errant wooden fragment — can become a major food safety crisis when scaled up. For consumers, vigilance (checking packaging, batch or establishment codes) is key. For manufacturers, quality and safety controls require constant, rigorous oversight.
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