Walmart Dino-Shaped Chicken Nuggets Recalled Nationwide for Lead Contamination

The Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets are off Walmart shelves, but they may still be sitting in customers' home freezers, and those 29-ounce bags could contain lead at levels up to five times the federal safety threshold for children.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert April 1 covering the product, manufactured by Dorada Foods and sold exclusively at Walmart locations nationwide. The contamination was uncovered by the New York State Department of Health through routine surveillance sampling. Because the product had already been pulled from stores before the alert was issued, FSIS stopped short of a formal recall but directed consumers to "throw away or return" any affected bags immediately.

The specific package to identify: a 29-ounce plastic bag containing approximately 36 nuggets, with a "Best If Used By" date of Feb. 10, 2027, lot code 0416DPO1215, and establishment number P44164 printed on the back of the bag in the upper left corner. The nuggets were produced Feb. 10, 2026 and shipped to Walmart stores across all 50 states.

The FDA sets an interim reference level of 2.2 micrograms for lead in food. FSIS said the amount found in these nuggets could reach five times that threshold for children. Lead is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants, and young children because it can damage developing brains and nervous systems, sometimes causing permanent neurological harm. The agency's alert was unambiguous on the core risk: "There is no safe amount of lead exposure."

For associates at the frozen food section, shelf-level action should already be complete since the product is no longer being stocked. If you come across any remaining bags with lot code 0416DPO1215, pull them immediately and notify your department manager. Do not wait for a manager walkthrough.

At the service desk and register, expect returns from customers who still have the product at home. Process those returns and give associates a clean, consistent line to use when customers ask what happened: "These Great Value Dino Nuggets were flagged by the USDA because they may have unsafe lead levels. We can take them back for a full refund, or you can dispose of them at home." Keep it factual and calm — avoid speculating about how the contamination happened, since USDA's investigation is still ongoing.

If a customer or their child has already eaten the product and reports symptoms, or if someone asks about lead poisoning, do not attempt to provide medical guidance. Direct them to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 and recommend they see a doctor. Document the report with your store manager right away.

FSIS noted it is continuing to investigate and that additional products could be added to the alert as the inquiry develops, so check back on the agency's recalls page for updates.

Here is the formatted final response:

The Great Value Fully Cooked Dino Shaped Chicken Breast Nuggets are off Walmart shelves, but they may still be sitting in customers' home freezers, and those 29-ounce bags could contain lead at levels up to five times the federal safety threshold for children.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert covering frozen, dinosaur-shaped, ready-to-eat chicken nuggets sold at Walmart stores because they may be contaminated with unsafe levels of lead. The manufacturer is Dorada Foods, which produced the nuggets under Walmart's Great Value label. The lead was discovered by the New York State Department of Health through routine surveillance sampling conducted on FSIS's behalf. Because the product had already been pulled from stores before the alert was issued, FSIS stopped short of a formal recall, but directed consumers to throw away or return the product to the place of purchase.

The specific package to identify: a 29-ounce plastic bag containing approximately 36 nuggets, with a "Best If Used By" date of Feb. 10, 2027, lot code 0416DPO1215, and establishment number P44164 printed on the back of the bag in the upper left corner. The nuggets were produced on Feb. 10, 2026 and shipped to Walmart locations nationwide.

The FDA sets an interim reference level of 2.2 micrograms for lead in food. FSIS said the amount found in these nuggets could reach five times that threshold for children. Lead is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants, and young children because it can damage developing brains and nervous systems, sometimes causing permanent neurological harm. The agency's alert left no room for ambiguity: "There is no safe amount of lead exposure," FSIS stated.

For associates in the frozen food section, shelf-level action should already be complete since the product is no longer being stocked. If you come across any remaining bags with lot code 0416DPO1215, pull them immediately and notify your department manager. Do not wait for a manager walkthrough.

At the service desk and register, expect returns from customers who still have the product at home. Keep it factual and calm when customers ask what happened: the USDA flagged these Great Value Dino Nuggets because they may have unsafe lead levels, and you can take them back for a full refund or the customer can dispose of them at home. Avoid speculating about how the contamination occurred, since the USDA investigation is still open.

If a customer or their child has already eaten the product and reports symptoms, or if someone asks about lead poisoning, do not attempt to provide medical guidance. Direct them to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 and recommend they see a doctor. Document the conversation and notify your store manager immediately.

FSIS said it is continuing to investigate and that additional products could be added to the alert, so associates should monitor the agency's recalls page for any expansion of the affected lot range.