Fully cooked, ready-to-eat chicken may be a convenient way to add some protein to a meal, but if you have any in your fridge right now, you’re going to want to check the label.
That’s because almost 9 million pounds (8,955,296 pounds, to be exact) of Tyson chicken products are part of a massive recall over concerns that the foods may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Here’s what to know about the recall.
Which Tyson chicken products are part of the recall?
There are quite a few products included in the recall, and the full list can be found on the USDA’s website. The potentially contaminated items have a few other things in common. They all:
Are frozen, fully cooked chicken products Were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021Have establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspectionThe Tyson branded products were sold in retailers throughout the country, including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix H-E-B, and Wegmans, USA Today reports. Additionally, the recalled chicken is also sold at restaurants like Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza, and Little Caesars.
According to the USDA, other than retailers and restaurants, the Tyson chicken products were also shipped to institutions nationwide, including hospitals, nursing facilities, schools, and Department of Defense locations.
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As anyone gotten sick from the recalled chicken?
As of July 9, 2021, the CDC has received reports of three people who fell ill with listeriosis after eating the Tyson chicken, and one death. Listeriosis is a serious infection that primarily affects people with weakened immune systems (because age, illness, or pregnancy) and can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the USDA.
What to do if you’ve purchased the recalled products
First of all, don’t eat them. Either throw them away, ore return them to the retailer where you purchased them for a refund.
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. (Eastern Time) 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 at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.
