The Hillshire Brands Company has issued a massive recall of approximately 58 million pounds of corn dog and sausage on a stick products due to wood contamination that has injured five consumers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall on Saturday. The affected products were packaged between March 17, 2025, and September 26, 2025, and distributed nationwide to retail stores, food service locations, schools, and Department of Defense facilities.
Newsweek reached out to Hillshire’s communication manager on Sunday via phone call for comment.
Why It Matters
This recall represents one of the largest food safety recalls of the year, affecting millions of consumers across the country.
The contamination involves pieces of wood embedded in the batter of corn dogs, creating a serious injury risk for anyone consuming these products. With distribution reaching schools and military facilities nationwide, the recall highlights the potential for widespread health impacts when safety protocols fail in large-scale food production.
What To Know
The contamination was discovered after multiple consumer complaints, with five reports involving actual injuries from wood pieces found in the products.
According to FSIS, Hillshire Brands’ investigation determined that wooden sticks entered the production process before the battering stage, contaminating the final products. The recalled items bear establishment numbers “EST-582” or “P-894” on their packaging and were sold both online and through traditional retail channels.
Products subject to the recall include various corn dog and sausage on a stick items that may still be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers, as well as institutional storage facilities. FSIS has emphasized that while these products were distributed to schools, they resulted from commercial sales and were not part of USDA-provided meals for the National School Lunch Program.
The recall affects products distributed nationwide. Consumers are urged not to consume any of the recalled products and should either throw them away or return them to their place of purchase.
FSIS has received no additional reports of injury beyond the initial five cases.
What Should Consumers Do?
Official statements from the recall announcement indicate that anyone concerned about an injury should contact a healthcare provider. The FSIS announcement states: “FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers, along with school and institution refrigerators and freezers.”
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Christina Self, The Hillshire Brands Company Associate Director of Customer Care, at 888-747-7611.
A list of the products subject to recall can be found here. The labels for the impacted products can be found here.
What Happens Next
FSIS will conduct recall effectiveness checks to verify that Hillshire Brands properly notifies customers and ensures the contaminated products are no longer available to consumers. The agency will post retail distribution lists on its website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls as they become available.
Anyone who believes they’ve been injured by consuming these products should contact their healthcare provider immediately. Consumers can also report problems through FSIS’s Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/ or call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.
The recall investigation will continue as FSIS works to ensure all affected products are removed from circulation.
