Public Health Alert Issued For 130,860 Pounds Of Chicken Over Listeria Risks

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for 130,860 pounds of frozen, cooked diced chicken that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

"The problem was discovered during routine FSIS inspection activities when inspection personnel observed products requiring recooking due to possible Lm contamination had been repackaged without being recooked," the FSIS said in the public health alert. "A subsequent FSIS investigation determined other affected product had been further distributed in commerce."

Eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may lead to an infection called Listeriosis, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified as the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the U.S. Each year, approximately 1,600 people get sick from Listeria, 260 of whom die.

According to the agency, Listeriosis can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the person infected. However, it mainly affects pregnant women, older or newborn people and those who have weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, even if it can cause a mild illness in the mother, it can cause a severe illness in the newborn or fetus. It can also cause stillbirths, preterm labor and miscarriages.

"Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection," the CDC said. "Pregnant Hispanic women are 24 times more likely than other people to get Listeria infection."

The products were distributed to food banks

The affected chicken products were distributed by Texas-based Big Daddy Foods and subsequently sent to various food banks in Florida from Feb. 24 to March 1 and to "temporary locations" from March 29 to April 8. The FSIS provided lists of the places where the affected products were distributed here and here.

The public health alert involves the 4-pound bags of "FULLY COOKED CHICKEN MEAT ¾ DICED WHITE" with code 13530 and Est. number P-18237 and "FULLY COOKED CHICKEN MEAT DARK/WHITE ¾ DICED" with code 16598 and Est. number P-45638. The Est. numbers may be located inside the USDA mark of inspection. Photos of the packaging are available here.

So far, there has been "no confirmed reports" of any adverse reactions resulting from eating the chicken products, but the FSIS is urging those who may still have the affected products not to eat them and instead throw them away.

"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," the FSIS said.