Tyson Foods Inc. Recalls Ready-To-Eat Chicken Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
UPDATED July 13, 2021 by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Updated to alert consumers that the recalled ready to eat products were used in additional products produced by other establishments and retailers. Some products bear a different establishment number on the label due to further processing and some products may have been served from the deli counter in retail stores. Labels for the products made with the recalled chicken are available here.
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UPDATED July 8, 2021 by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Details of this recall were updated to reflect additional date codes and an increase in product poundage from approximately 8,492,832 pounds to approximately 8,955,296 pounds. The recalled product names and product codes remain the same. While the product was distributed to schools, it resulted from a commercial sale and was not part of food provided by the USDA for the National School Lunch Program.
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Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling approximately 8,492,832 pounds 8,955,296 pounds (increased per update) of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced (original announcement on Saturday, July 3, 2021).
Link Update: The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021. The products that are subject to recall are listed here. (View food labels here.)
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools, and Department of Defense locations.
On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, FSIS determined 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.Additional information on the investigation may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (Food Safety Alert).
Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, 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 customer and institutional freezers. Customers should not eat these products. Institutions should not serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify theircustomers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Customers who have questions may contact Tyson Foods customer relations at 855.382.3101.
Consumers with food safety questions may call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1.888.674.6854) or live chat via Ask USDA Monday-Friday (10am-6pm Eastern Time).
Source: USDA FSIS
Ed. Note: Originally published July 3, 2021. Updated July 8 & again July 13.
