By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Tyson Foods, Inc., has expanded a nationwide recall of nearly 9 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken due to possible Listeria contamination to include products sold at convenience stores, according to the U S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021, and were shipped to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations. They bear establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Tyson has added products sold at convenience stores to the list. USDA photo shows an example, in this case a chicken wrap sold at Circle K stores. (Photo from Kentucky Today)
On June 9, the USDA was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health partners, FSIS determined there is evidence linking the illnesses to precooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc. The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses including one death, between April 6,and June 5, prompting the initial recall to be issued earlier this month..
During routine sample collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria 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.
Eating listeria contaminated food 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 consumer and institutional freezers. Consumers should not eat these products. Institutions should not serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
A complete list of the products that are subject to recall are listed at www.fsis.usda.gov.
