Tyson and Hillshire hit with class action over massive corn dog and sausage recall

Edited by: Top Class Actions | October 20, 2025

Category: Food

Tyson Foods Company Truck — (Photo Credit: refrina/Shutterstock)

Tyson and Hillshire class action overview:

Who: An Illinois consumer, plaintiff Eric Wilim, has filed a class action lawsuit against Tyson Foods and its subsidiary, The Hillshire Brands Co.
Why: Wilim claims the companies sold corn dogs and sausages that were contaminated with wood.
Where: The Tyson and Hillshire class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.

Tyson Foods and its subsidiary Hillshire Brands Co. are facing a new class action lawsuit accusing the companies of selling corn dogs and sausages that were contaminated with wood.

Plaintiff Eric Wilim filed the class action complaint against Tyson and Hillshire on Oct. 7 in Illinois federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

Tyson and Hillshire recalled more than 58 million pounds of corn dogs and sausages in September due to potential contamination with wood, Wilim claims.

The recall affected products sold under the State Fair and Jimmy Dean brands, both of which are owned by Hillshire, the class action lawsuit says.

The recalled items were reportedly manufactured and packaged between March 17 and Sept. 26 of this year and distributed nationwide, including to schools and Department of Defense facilities.

Wood entered production process before battering, lawsuit claims

According to the class action lawsuit, the recall was initiated after Hillshire received multiple consumer complaints, including at least five reports of injuries.

An investigation revealed that wooden sticks had entered the production process before battering, leading to the contamination, the lawsuit alleges.

Wilim claims he purchased Hillshire pancake sausages on a stick from a Jewel-Osco store in Illinois in August. While he did not find wood in the product he consumed, he argues that he was forced to purchase, store and eat a product now deemed unsafe by federal regulators.

“The product Plaintiff purchased and consumed, like all recall products, either contained or was at risk of containing foreign objects unfit for human consumption,” the lawsuit says.

Wilim argues that Tyson and Hillshire failed to adequately design, manufacture, test and monitor the production process of the recalled products, allowing contaminated food to enter the market on a massive scale.

He also claims the companies failed to warn consumers in a timely manner, allowing adulterated products to remain on shelves and in homes for months before the recall was announced.

Wilim is looking to represent anyone in the United States who purchased the recalled corn dog or sausage products. He is suing for breach of implied warranty of merchantability and unjust enrichment and is seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Last year, the Environmental Working Group filed a class action lawsuit against Tyson, accusing the company of falsely advertising its pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 despite taking no meaningful steps toward that goal.

What do you think of the allegations made in this Tyson and Hillshire class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Gary M. Klinger of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC and Paul J. Doolittle of Poulin Willey Anastopoulo LLC.

The Tyson and Hillshire corn dog class action lawsuit is Wilim v. The Hillshire Brands Co., et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-12281, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.