WASHINGTON — UPDATE April 13: The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on April 6 that it’s retracting the public health alert issued on April 1 for Walmart Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets with “Best If Used By” date “Feb 10 2027” produced by Dorada Foods after confirming that the product does not pose a public health concern.
The original health alert was issued after routine surveillance sampling done by the New York State Department of Public Health indicated that there were high levels of lead in the product. Because the product is commonly popular with children, FSIS immediately issued an alert to warn consumers of the potential risk.
According to the retraction statement, additional sampling was conducted by the New York State Department of Public Health and the producing establishment, Dorada Foods, following the health alert. All follow-up testing, including testing of the original lot, found no elevated levels of lead in the product.
FSIS then reviewed the laboratory data along with the NYSDPH and found that the initial result was a false positive, caused by sporadic lead contamination at the laboratory during analysis, not contamination of the product itself, FSIS added.
With all this new information, FSIS concluded that the product does not pose a public health concern, so they have notified the company and are updating the public health alert page to ensure consumers have accurate and up-to-date information.
ORIGINAL STORY April 3: On April 1, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for frozen, dinosaur-shaped, ready-to-eat chicken nuggets that may be contaminated with unsafe levels of lead.
A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase, but the FSIS is concerned that some products may still be in consumers’ freezers, FSIS said in a statement.
The nuggets were produced on Feb. 10, 2026. The product label for this public health alert reads:
- 29-oz. plastic bags containing approx. 36 “GREAT VALUE FULLY COOKED DINO SHAPED CHICKEN BREAST NUGGETS” with “BEST IF USED BY” date “FEB 10, 2027,” lot code “0416DPO1215,” and establishment number “P44164” printed on the back of the bag.
The product was shipped to Walmart locations across the country, so FSIS is continuing to investigate this health alert. The problem was only discovered during routine surveillance sampling conducted by a state partner, FSIS noted.
Consumers who have purchased these products are strongly urged not to consume them and to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead is especially dangerous for pregnant women, infants, and young children because it can harm developing brains and nervous systems, sometimes causing lasting problems.
There is no safe amount of lead exposure, but guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provide an interim reference level of 2.2 micrograms. The amount of lead found in these nuggets could be as much as five times higher than this IRL for children, FSIS warned.
FSIS also warned that additional products could be added to this public health alert, so they advise people to frequently check their website for updates.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.
