The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a massive recall of nearly 10 million pounds of beef and chicken products because of possible listeria contamination.
The recall affects ready-to-eat meals, including frozen dinners and fresh salads from Trader Joe's, Jenny Craig, Amazon Fresh, and well-known grocery stores like Kroger. This action is due to listeria concerns, according to a statement released by the USDA on Friday.
USDA Recalls Beef, Chicken Over Listeria Concerns
The USDA's updated list includes popular meals such as Dole's Classic Cobb salad, Trader Joe's Lemon Chicken & Arugula salad, and Amazon Fresh's Fiesta and Caesar salads. Jenny Craig's Classic Chicken Carbonara is also among the affected items.
These details come after an earlier list released on October 9, which confused consumers with product codes that were hard to understand. Food safety experts point out that listeria bacteria can survive in both frozen and fresh foods, raising the risk of contamination.
Patrick Quade, CEO of iwaspoisoned.com, an organization monitoring food-borne illnesses, commented on the seriousness of the recall, stating, "This recall raises significant concerns given its massive scale – almost 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken distributed through well-known brands such as Trader Joe's, Amazon Fresh, Kroger, and Dole."
He further emphasized the risk of contaminated products lingering in refrigerators and freezers, potentially leading to more cases of illness.
BrucePac, a food processing company based in Durant, Oklahoma, initiated the recall after federal agencies discovered listeria contamination in some of its poultry products.
These items were distributed to grocery stores, restaurants, and institutions across the country. Although BrucePac has informed retailers about the recall, it is up to individual stores to ensure that contaminated products are removed from their shelves.
Severe Listeria Risks
Listeria is especially dangerous for pregnant women, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of a listeria infection include fever, chills, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea.
In severe cases, the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream and brain, leading to life-threatening conditions like sepsis and encephalitis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1,600 people in the US contract listeria annually, resulting in approximately 260 deaths.
According to Mail Online, the USDA has advised consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers for any recalled items, especially since the affected products could still be in circulation at various retail locations.
The USDA warns that these products should be returned to the store or discarded, and establishments such as restaurants and institutions are urged to stop serving any of the items listed in the recall.
