Las Vegas, NV (February 16th, 2026) – A massive food recall affecting 28 states, including Nevada, has expanded to include approximately 648,000 pounds of frozen tater tots after reports of foreign objects contaminating the popular frozen food product. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the expanded recall for McCain Foods USA products distributed to food service operators, potentially affecting schools, restaurants, and institutions throughout Nevada.
If you or a loved one has suffered injury from a defective or contaminated food product, contact George Bochanis Injury Law Offices at 702-388-2005 for a free consultation about your product liability claim.
What Products Are Affected by the Tater Tot Recall?
According to the FDA announcement, the recall covers multiple McCain Foods USA frozen potato products distributed under the Ore-Ida and Sonic brand names. The recalled items were manufactured during specific production dates and shipped to food service operators across 28 states, with Nevada among the affected regions.
The contamination involves clear, hard plastic fragments that were discovered in the production process. These materials pose serious choking hazards and potential injury risks to consumers who unknowingly encounter the contaminated products at schools, restaurants, or other food service establishments.
The recalled products were distributed exclusively to food service accounts, not to retail grocery stores However, those who eat at schools, restaurants, cafeterias, or other institutional food service locations may have been exposed to the recalled products.
The Expanding Scope of the McCain Foods Recall
What began as a recall of approximately 38,800 cases in early January has now expanded to over 21,600 cases totaling approximately 648,000 pounds of frozen potato products, reflecting either the discovery of additional contaminated batches or a broader precautionary measure by McCain Foods USA and federal regulators.
The expansion demonstrates an important aspect of food safety incidents: the full scope of contamination often isn’t immediately apparent. As investigations continue and more products undergo testing, companies and regulators frequently discover that contamination affects larger production runs than initially suspected.
For Nevada residents, this expansion means continued vigilance when eating at restaurants, school cafeterias, and other food service establishments. Products delivered weeks or even months ago might now fall within the recall parameters, and food service operators should actively verify whether they received affected product lots.
The FDA has established procedures for food service operators to identify recalled products through batch codes and production dates, though no confirmed injuries have been reported as of February 2026.
Understanding the Injury Risks from Contaminated Food Products
Foreign object contamination in food products creates multiple avenues for consumer harm. When hard materials like plastic fragments enter the food supply, the consequences can be immediate and severe.
Choking presents the most immediate danger, particularly for children and elderly individuals who may have difficulty detecting foreign objects before swallowing. Even if choking doesn’t occur, biting down on hard foreign materials can cause dental injuries, including cracked or broken teeth, damaged fillings, and soft tissue lacerations in the mouth and throat.
Beyond the physical injuries, consuming contaminated food products can result in medical expenses, lost wages from emergency room visits or dental procedures, and ongoing pain and suffering. For Nevada families already managing tight household budgets, unexpected medical bills from a preventable product defect can create serious financial hardship.
The psychological impact shouldn’t be overlooked either. After discovering a foreign object in food, or worse, experiencing an injury, consumers often develop anxiety around food safety that affects their daily lives and eating habits.
Product Liability Law and Manufacturer Responsibility in Nevada
Nevada law recognizes that manufacturers, distributors, and retailers have a legal duty to ensure the products they place into commerce are safe for consumers. When a defective or contaminated product causes injury, Nevada’s product liability framework provides pathways for injured consumers to seek compensation.
Product liability claims in Nevada typically fall into three categories: manufacturing defects, design defects, and failure to warn. In cases involving foreign object contamination, manufacturing defects are most commonly at issue. A manufacturing defect occurs when something goes wrong during the production process, causing the finished product to differ from its intended design and creating unreasonable dangers.
If a manufacturing company’s quality control processes fail to detect and remove foreign objects from food products before distribution, and those objects cause injury to consumers, the manufacturer may be held responsible for resulting damages. This responsibility exists regardless of how careful the manufacturer claims to have been. The focus is on whether the product was defective and whether that defect caused harm.
Food service operators who served contaminated products can also potentially bear responsibility under certain circumstances, particularly if they knew or should have known about contamination issues but continued serving the products anyway.
Why Food Safety Failures Matter to Las Vegas Families
Las Vegas households and institutions rely on frozen convenience foods like tater tots as affordable, quick meal solutions. Many Las Vegas children consume tater tots regularly through school lunch programs, and busy families frequently dine at restaurants that serve these products.
When these trusted products become vehicles for injury rather than nourishment, the breach of consumer trust extends beyond the immediate physical harm. Families have a right to expect that products served at schools and restaurants have undergone proper quality control and are safe for consumption.
The geographic scope of this recall, spanning 28 states including Nevada, illustrates how modern food distribution systems can rapidly spread contaminated products across vast regions, potentially affecting thousands of food service establishments before problems are detected and corrective action taken.
Legal Rights After Suffering a Product-Related Injury
Nevada consumers who suffer injuries from defective or contaminated products have legal rights.
Recoverable damages in Nevada product liability cases can include medical expenses (both immediate and ongoing), lost income from missed work, pain and suffering, dental repair costs, and other economic and non-economic losses directly resulting from the defective product.
The legal process for pursuing product liability claims involves careful documentation of the injury, preservation of the defective product when possible, medical records establishing the connection between the product and the injury, and proof of damages suffered.
Time limitations apply to product liability claims in Nevada, making prompt legal consultation important for anyone who has suffered injury from a contaminated or defective product.
Protecting Your Rights as a Consumer
If you or a family member has been injured by a contaminated food product or other defective consumer good, the experienced product liability attorneys at George Bochanis Injury Law Offices can evaluate your case and explain your legal options. Call 702-388-2005 today for a free consultation. Our Las Vegas legal team understands Nevada product liability law and will fight to hold negligent manufacturers accountable for the harm their defective products cause.
