More than 2.2 million pounds of Golden Island Korean Barbecue Pork Jerky were recalled from Costco and Sam’s Club stores nationwide in October 2025 after customers found sharp metal pieces mixed in their snacks.
The recall affected inventory across all 50 states, with best-by dates ranging from May 2025 to September 2026.
Officials identified metal fragments as a safety risk and investigated the cause, but they did not immediately release all details about the factory failure to the public.
Death Risk
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classified this recall as Class I, its highest danger rating, reserved for products that could cause serious health problems or death if eaten.
Metal can cut the mouth, get stuck in the throat, or damage the stomach.
While there have been no confirmed injuries yet, food safety experts have cautioned that metal contamination can necessitate surgery or lead to internal complications.
Warehouse Boom
Warehouse clubs, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, are experiencing significant growth, with millions of shoppers seeking value as budgets tighten across the nation.
Since 2021, both chains have experienced double-digit growth, and Costco’s foot traffic in 2023 increased by 16% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Sam’s Club plans 30 new stores after years of few expansions. Health-minded shoppers are driving jerky and meat snack sales ever higher at these clubs.
Market Surge
Jerky manufacturers drove U.S. sales to $5.3 billion in 2024 and expect global revenue to reach $7.8 billion by 2030, as more consumers opt for high-protein snacks and new flavors generate additional demand.
Beef jerky accounts for over half of this market, with Americans consuming approximately 65,000 metric tons per year.
Warehouse clubs and convenience stores are top sellers, and new protein-rich flavors have helped jerky outpace many other snacks despite growing production challenges.
Conveyor Collapse
The jerky’s maker, LSI Inc. of South Dakota, traced the metal back to a damaged conveyor belt, which had shed thin wire pieces into the jerky for nearly a year before being discovered.
Routine factory checks didn’t catch the problem.
Products with best-by dates from October 23, 2025, to September 23, 2026, are included in the recall, covering many batches produced over several months.
Global Spread
The recall quickly expanded beyond the U.S. Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand food safety authorities also issued recalls for the same jerky after finding metal in their imported Costco supply.
With best-by dates ranging from late 2025 into 2026, authorities warned global shoppers to check specific batches.
They highlighted the risks of contaminated food moving across borders before anyone realizes there’s a problem.
Consumer Fear
Customers described the shock of biting into hidden metal in the dark, chewy jerky—a hard-to-spot hazard that can be particularly dangerous.
Many bought the popular snack for school lunches, road trips, or as gym fuel. Worried parents raised alarms about kids choking.
The FSIS advised buyers to look for “M279A” on recalled packages, discard them, or request refunds, and contact the support line with any questions or concerns.
Industry Pattern
Just one day after the Golden Island recall, Hormel Foods recalled nearly 5 million pounds of frozen chicken for a similar metal belt issue.
These rapid-fire incidents revealed equipment failures at multiple U.S. food plants.
Despite known risks, many manufacturers struggle to monitor machine breakdowns in real time, leaving products vulnerable to unnoticed contamination as demand rises for quick, large-scale production.
Manufacturing Pressure
America’s jerky plants must run constantly to keep store shelves stocked, but heavy use means machines can wear down fast.
These belts are a known weak point for allowing metal fragments to enter.
With the jerky market growing each year, many factories push their equipment to the limit, prioritizing output and sometimes delaying essential maintenance, which increases the risk of dangerous breakdowns.
Recall Epidemic
Metal and plastic contamination problems led to over a dozen major nationwide food recalls in 2024.
Both meat and non-meat food producers have allowed hazardous products to reach customers, revealing weak spots in U.S. manufacturing.
Experts warn that companies using modern metal detectors and fast-moving assembly lines still let unsafe foods slip through when they don’t perform enough thorough inspections or slow production to check for problems.
Jack Link’s Shadow
Jack Link’s bought Golden Island in 2020, closed the California plant, moved production to South Dakota, and made major upgrades to expand operations.
Even though the new Alpena facility was promoted as “state-of-the-art,” its equipment still failed, which led directly to the massive jerky recall.
Jack Link’s, now the owner of the Golden Island brand, has faced scrutiny over manufacturing controls since.
Family Feud
Jay and Troy Link, as co-owners of LSI, engaged in a years-long legal battle over control of the company, culminating in Jay’s $16.5 million buyout of Troy’s stake.
Their ongoing disputes diverted the company’s focus.
They raised concerns that LSI may have neglected daily safety checks and crucial equipment updates during critical years when they increased jerky production output.
Effectiveness Checks
After a recall, the USDA shares which stores got the products and inspects companies to ensure tainted food is genuinely off the shelves.
Costco and Sam’s Club notify shoppers directly if their records show a purchase.
Federal inspectors also review whether the recalled company assists customers in obtaining refunds and provides up-to-date information through its hotline and website.
Prevention Gap
Regular equipment checks and the use of specialized metal-detectable belts, experts say, can prevent recalls like this by making it easier to spot dangerous fragments before they reach consumers.
Food manufacturers automate equipment checks and follow set replacement schedules as best practices to prevent breakdowns.
When LSI’s conveyor belt shed metal fragments for months, food safety professionals began questioning whether the company skipped or ignored important preventive measures because it prioritized keeping up with production demands.
Accountability Question
Two recalls from separate companies within two days raise industry-wide accountability questions.
As demand and production grow, experts warn that keeping up with maintenance will become increasingly challenging.
LSI faces financial and reputational damage, while regulators debate how to enforce higher standards to protect public health better and reduce the number of surprise food safety failures.