13 tons of TGI Friday's brand chicken bites recalled because they may contain plastic

Simmons Foods is recalling more than 13 tons of TGI Friday's-branded boneless chicken bites sold by retailers nationwide following consumer complaints of plastic under the breading used in the products. 

Distributed by Kraft Heinz to grocers including Amazon, Dollar General, Kroger, Publix, Target and Walmart, the chicken may contain fragments of plastic safety glasses, Simmons Foods said in a Dec. 15 news release. The issue was discovered after two individual customer complaints, the Siloam Springs, Arkansas-based supplier of poultry, pet and animal nutrition products stated. 

The roughly 27,000 pounds of processed boneless chicken products being recalled were produced during a single shift on October 3, 2023, at the company's manufacturing plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, Simmons said.

The products being recalled were packed in 15-ounce cartons labeled "TGI FRIDAYS BONELESS CHICKEN BITES HONEY BBQ CHICKEN" with lot code KL3K03 and a "best by" date of December 26, 2024, on the side, according to a notice posted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, or FSIS.

Some products could be in people's freezers, according to the agency, which urged consumers who bought the recalled poultry not to eat it. Instead, customers should throw it away or return the chicken to the place of purchase. 

Consumers with questions call call Simmons at: (800) 280-7185.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.