Listeria recall of chicken hits Publix, Target, Amazon, Kroger, Albertsons and others

David J. Neal, Miami Herald on Oct 13, 2024

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The listeria-launched recall of nearly 10 million pounds of meat and chicken products has reached the store brands of seven of the top 10 grocery-selling chains in the nation, a few other chains you probably know about and several name brands.

So, you’ll want to keep reading if you shop at Walmart, Kroger, Albertson’s, Publix, H-E-B, Target, Meijer, Amazon Fresh, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Giant Eagle or buy products with chicken by name brands Atkins, Boston Market, Dole, Fresh Express, Rao’s, Michael Angelo’s, Don Pancho’s, Bistro 28, Jenny Craig or El Monterey.

This list comprises of a lesser known company in addition to several popular stores and brands.

Who recalled all this meat and chicken and why?

BrucePac is an Oregon company, but it was at the Durant, Oklahoma facility where USDA Food Safety Inspection Service testing found listeria in a finished ready-to-eat chicken product. BrucePac announced a recall of all ready-to-eat meat and poultry items made in that facility between June 19 and Oct. 8. That culminates to about 9,986,245 pounds of beef, pork, turkey — and, most of all, chicken.

Initially, the list of products affected were just those sold under BrucePac’s brands, BrucePac, City Grillers and Urban Bruce.

“Because we sell to other companies who resell, repackage, or use our products as ingredients in other foods, we do not have a list of retail products that contain our recalled items,” BrucePac wrote in a release posted to its site on Friday.

That changed Thursday night.

The recall’s ripple effect

When an ingredient supplier has a foodborne illness problem, all of that supplier’s customers have a foodborne illness problem. On Thursday night, the additional recalls started being announced with Fresh Express premade salads with chicken and similar salads sold under Walmart’s Marketside brand, Aldi’s Little Salad Bar brand, Trader Joe’s and H-E-B store brands.

By Sunday evening, the list of chicken products involved in the listeria recall filled a 203-page PDF. Most of the products are ready-to-eat salads with a “best by” date on or before October 13. Additionally, there are some frozen products, such as the Great Value, Boston Market, H-E-B, El Montrerey, some Amazon Fresh products and others.

If you have anything that’s been recalled, return it to the store for a full refund.

Walmart:Marketside and Great Value.

Kroger:Kroger store brand, which might also turn up in the chains owned by Kroger, such as Ralphs, Dillon’s and King Soopers.

Publix:Publix Deli Chicken Street Taco Kit, best by dates of June 24 through Oct. 16.

Albertsons:Signature Select (this includes all the chains owned by Albertsons, including Safeway and Vons).

Costco: Red’s Mini Burritos.

Meijer: Meijer ready-to-eat salads

Amazon Fresh: Amazon Fresh brand ready-to-eat and frozen dishes.

Aldi: Little Salad Bar ready-to-eat salads and Fusia.

Giant Eagle:Giant Eagle brand salads.

Target: Good & Gather ready to eat salads and frozen meal.

Trader Joe’s:Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat salads and frozen meals.

Burrito 28:Chicken Quesadilla, Chicken Street Taco, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Green Chile Chicken Enchilada express meal kits (posted to the FDA site).

Don Pancho’s:Chicken Quesadilla, Chicken Street Taco, Green Chile Chicken Enchilada express meal kits (posted to the FDA site).

Dole:Ready-to-eat salads.

And among the frozen foods...

H-E-B:Three H-E-B frozen chicken meals.

El Monterey: Chicken Enchilada meal, Spicy Chipotle Chicken Bowl and Chicken and Cheese Taquitos.

Udi’s Gluten Free

Atkins

Boston Market

Eat! Asian Style

Gordon Choice

Jenny Craig

Michael Angelo’s

Michelina’s

Rao’s

Whitson’s Culinary Group

What’s listeria?

Foodborne illness Listeria infects about 1,600 people in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 260 of that 1,600 die. Pregnant women can suffer stillbirths and miscarriages. Usulaly getting the worst of listeria are children under the age of 5, adults over 65 and people with damaged immune systems. Symptoms include headache, muscle aches, fever, sometimes loss of balance, possbily even seizures.