Why You Should Be Careful Before Eating Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

If you have any food allergies you should be extra careful before consuming Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets, here's why.

By Joseph Farago | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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Chick-Fil-A has had an assortment of new chicken products. Currently, the company’s grilled chicken nuggets and grilled fillets have had an allergen containment from its supplier. The dairy allergen was found after the supplier notified Chick-Fil-A restaurants this past week. The company made a recent statement about how the situation will be rectified as soon as possible.

A dairy contaminant in Chick-Fil-A’s nuggets might not worry some customers, but it could be incredibly dangerous for others. Kids With Food Allergies, a subdivision of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, wrote about the contamination issue on their organization’s Facebook page. People on the post expressed dismay about the dairy allergen in Chick-Fil-A’s menu items. The post was published to spread awareness about the dairy contamination in an effort to reach those who are severely allergic to the substance.

Chick-Fil-A’s dairy issue comes at a time when many in the US deal with food-related allergies. The CDC’s figures conclude that 8% of US children currently deal with some type of food allergy. A study conducted by the CDC in 2019 found that more than 10% of American adults suffer from a food allergy, which is around 26 million people. Of the 40,000 participants in the study, 19% indicated that they suffered symptoms of an allergic food reaction. The CDC concluded that over half of that 19% reported symptoms of food-related conditions.

Chick-Fil-A’s food allergy issue is unfolding at an unideal time for the fast-food company. Next week, Chick-Fi-A’s first Hawaii restaurant is set to open its doors. The fast-food spot will be located in one of the most populated areas in the country, Maui. Chick-Fil-A’s Hawaii unveiling will occur on September 1st. Located at 14 Ho‘okele Street, Chick-Fil-A Kahului will have all the popular amenities of the traditional restaurants, which include drive-thru service, dine-in, and carry-out starting at six in the morning to nine at night.

At Chick-Fil-A’s brand new Hawaii location, more than 160 locals will be employed. In honor of its opening, the fast-food chain is donating $25,000 to the area’s local food insecurity initiative, Maui Food Bank. The company will also support 100 local heroes in Hawaii by providing them with free Chick-Fil-A meals for the whole year. On top of these initiatives, the fast-food chain will be applying its Chick-Fil-A Shared Table Program to the Kahului location, which gives surplus food to neighboring soup kitchens, shelters, and nonprofits.

The Chick-Fil-A Hawaii location will be the first trial of the restaurant on the islands. If this trial goes well, the fast-food chain plans to open up more on the archipelago. The Kahului location will have a capacity of 114 people with extra seating outside in their patio area.

Chick-Fil-A has impressive business ventures outside the US mainland, but new supply-chain disruptions could injure its reputation. Unfortunately, cross-contamination issues are not unusual in the fast-food and restaurant industry. Even though it’s a relatively common mishap, allergen contamination can lead to deadly consequences. Luckily, Chick-Fil-A quickly identified the problem and halted its supplier’s distribution of the tainted chicken products.