Tyson Foods Inc., the second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork on the planet, is recalling about 8,492,832 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The announcement was made Saturday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
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The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021.
The projects subject to recall have the establishment number EST. P-7089 on the product back or inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items were shipped nationwide to retailers, hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations.
The full list of recalled products and their labels can be found in the documents below.
According to FSIS, the department was notified of two people with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health partners, FSIS said there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to precooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc.
The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6, 2021 and June 5, 2021.
During routine sample collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people. One of the samples was collected at Tyson Foods Inc. FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products.
Listeriosis is a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.
Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumer and institutional freezers and is urging people to not eat the products and that institutions should not serve them.
The products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.
For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day here.