FSIS Withdraws Alert for Walmart Chicken Nugget Product

Agency says earlier lead test was a false positive

Apr. 7, 2026 at 4:09pm

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A translucent X-ray photograph of a chicken nugget, revealing its internal structure as glowing lines against a dark background, conceptually illustrating the investigation into a false positive lead test.An X-ray view of a chicken nugget exposes the internal structure behind a recent false alarm over lead contamination.NYC Today

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has withdrawn a public health alert for a specific lot of Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets sold at Walmart. The agency determined that an earlier test finding trace levels of lead was a false positive, and follow-up testing by the manufacturer and New York state health officials found no elevated lead in the product.

Why it matters

Food safety alerts can cause significant disruption and concern for consumers, so it's important for regulatory agencies to quickly correct any false alarms. This incident highlights the need for robust testing protocols to avoid unnecessary public health scares.

The details

FSIS said the initial finding of lead contamination was due to sporadic lead contamination at the laboratory where the lot was tested. Both Dorada Foods, the manufacturer of the chicken nuggets, and the New York State Department of Public Health conducted follow-up testing and found no elevated lead levels in the lot in question or other lots of the product.

  • FSIS issued the public health alert last week.
  • The agency has now withdrawn the alert after the false positive was confirmed.

The players

FSIS

The Food Safety and Inspection Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products.

Dorada Foods

The manufacturer of the Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets product.

New York State Department of Public Health

The state agency that conducted follow-up testing on the chicken nugget product.

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The takeaway

This incident underscores the importance of thorough and accurate testing protocols to avoid unnecessary public health alerts that can cause confusion and concern among consumers. The swift correction by FSIS helps restore confidence in the safety of the food supply.