Popular Frozen Tater Tots Recalled In Iowa And Illinois For Plastic

A popular brand of frozen tater tots is recalling bags in 26 states.

Healthy or not, frozen tater tots are often a dinner staple, especially if you have kids. But before you start on dinner tonight, you may need to check the numbers on your bag.

A voluntary recall from McCain Foods USA includes over 38,000 cases of Ore-Ida Tater Tots and Sysco Imperial Potato Tater Barrels. The recall impacts 26 states, including both Iowa and Illinois.

The recall is due to "clear hard plastic fragments" in the tots.

The Ore-Ida Recall

About 21,000 cases of the Ore-Ida tater tots are involved in the recall. The batch numbers for those are:

• 1005479808
• 1005477924
• 1005478883
• 1005480444
• 1005480875
• 1005481627
• 1005481770

The UPC is 1 00 72714 00215 8.

The Sysco Recall

Meanwhile, nearly 17,600 cases of the Sysco Imperial tots are part of the recall. Those batch numbers are:

• 1005482717
• 1005483735
• 1005484702
• 1005485462
• 1005485660

The UPC is 1 07 34730 62740 0.

The FDA said this recall is considered Class II, meaning the exposure to it could cause some temporary health issues, but the good news is that it's not likely to be too bad. As the FDA words it: "where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote". The recall notice does not list specific stores that the tater tots were sold at.

It's early in the year, but the tater tots aren't the first food recall of 2026. It's not a good sign, but there have been several recalls lately. Last week, Primavera Nueva voluntarily recalled some tamales for possible Listeria contamination. In early December, Great Lakes Cheese Co. recalled their shredded cheddar cheese for "potential metal fragments".