Tyson expands chicken recall over possible listeria contamination
Nearly 9M pounds of Tyson chicken products have been recalled to date
Nearly 500,000 additional pounds of Tyson Foods chicken are being recalled over fears that it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria.
In total, Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling more than 8.9 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products "that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes," the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said in an updated notice Thursday.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSN | TYSON FOODS INC. | 64.15 | +0.20 | +0.31% |
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"Details of this recall were updated to reflect additional date codes and an increase in product poundage from approximately 8,492,832 pounds to approximately 8,955,296 pounds," FSIS said, adding that the product names and codes remain the same.
The recalled products – listed here– were produced at a Dexter, Missouri, plant between Dec. 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021, according to Tyson's voluntary recall notice.
The products bear the establishment number "EST. P-7089" on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped "nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations," according to FSIS.
THESE MAJOR RETAILERS SOLD TYSON'S RECALLED CHICKEN PRODUCTS
Some of these retailers include Walmart, Wegmans, Publix and H-E-B, all of which sell Tyson Foods inc. products and issued separate notices regarding the recall on their respective websites. Tyson promised consumers that a full list of all the retail stores impacted by this recall will "eventually be posted on USDA’s website."
Even though the product was distributed to schools, "it resulted from a commercial sale and was not part of food provided by the USDA for the National School Lunch Program," the agency said in its updated notice.
The original July 3 recall was initiated nearly a month after the agency "was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis," which is a serious infection caused by the consumption of food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
"Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, FSIS determined there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to precooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc.," FSIS said.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued a separate notice cautioning consumers that the recalled products – which include frozen, fully cooked chicken strips, diced chicken, chicken wing sections, and fully cooked pizza with chicken – are sold under many brand names aside from Tyson.
This includes Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza and Little Caesars, according to the CDC.
Tyson claims there is "no conclusive evidence that the products were contaminated at the time of shipment." However, the company still issued the recall "out of an abundance of caution."
TYSON RECALLS READY-TO-EAT CHICKEN PRODUCTS DUE TO POSSIBLE LISTERIA CONTAMINATION
"We’re committed to providing safe, healthy food that people rely on every day," Scott Brooks, Tyson Foods senior vice president of food safety and quality assurance, said. "We are taking this precautionary step out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our commitment to safety."
Meanwhile, any affected products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, FSIS said.