Nearly 12 million pounds of chicken and turkey products sold at big box stores across the country have been called back.
A release from the U.S. government says that BrucePac, a company that makes pre-cooked meat, may have put listeria into their ready-to-eat chicken products. S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The affected foods generally include ready-to-eat meals like salad, rice and pasta bowls that contain the potentially tainted poultry. And those things were sold at big stores across the country, like Aldi, Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle, HEB, Trader Joes, and Kroger.
On Oct. 21, 2024, grocery chain Sprouts alerted consumers that frozen meal company Reds expanded its recall to include more items in connection with the BrucePac recall: Reds Chicken Chorizo Burrito and Reds Chicken & Cheddar Burritos in both single- and four-packs with specific lot codes and best by dates.
“Although all our certificates of analysis have returned negative for listeria, we advise consumers who purchased any potentially affected products to return them for a full refund,” Reds said in a statement.
Costco also sold some of the affected products and the company recently expanded its recall list to include even more chicken and turkey meals. The recently recalled items from Costco include specific lot codes of Rana Chicken Truffle Carbonara, Reds Southwestern Grilled Chicken Mini Burritos and El Monterey Mexican Grill Chicken & Cheese Taquitos among other products.
This week, Costco also recalled some of its Kirkland Signature smoked salmon due to possible listeria contamination.
The poultry products included in the recall were produced between June 19, 2024, and Oct. 8, 2024, the FSIS says, and may have “best by” dates as far in the future as 2026.
“After learning that ready-to-eat chicken tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, we stopped production and immediately recalled all products that may have been affected,” BrucePac said in a statement in response to the recall.
The statement continued, “We are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to notify consumers and contact the food companies and distributors to whom we sold the recalled products.”
Listeria is a type of bacteria that can cause serious illness if consumed. Certain groups such as young children, older adults and pregnant people are more vulnerable to severe complications from listeria.
The affected products were distributed across the country to grocery stores, restaurants and other institutions. Additionally, some of the products were distributed by BrucePac and then distributed further, making the recall that much more complex.
Many homes across the country eat chicken as their main source of protein. However, in the past few years, there have been several major recalls of chicken products because they were tainted with dangerous pathogens like salmonella and listeria. I’ll talk about the most important chicken recalls that have happened since 2018 so you know what products have been harmed and what you need to do to keep your family safe.
2018 Chicken Recalls
In 2018, there were two major chicken recalls:
-
In May 2018, Prime Deli Corporation recalled more than 35,000 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken salad products that were sold at Kroger, FSIS, and other places because they might have listeria on them.
-
In July 2018, Crider Inc. called back velvet chicken that was marinated and sold at QFC and Fred Meyer stores. after salmonella was detected in the product. Over 1,300 pounds of chicken were affected.
2019 Chicken Recalls
2019 saw several more high-profile chicken recalls
-
In January 2019, Tyson Foods called back more than 18 tons of chicken nuggets that might have had rubber on them. The nuggets were sold at clubs nationwide.
-
May 2019: More than 11 tons of ready-to-eat chicken strips and nuggets sold at Tyson and other major retailers were recalled due to potential metal contamination.
-
September 2019: Simmons Foods recalled over 2 million pounds of chicken products in relation to a salmonella outbreak that sickened hundreds and hospitalized dozens. The chicken was sold under various brand names like Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.
2020 Chicken Recalls
-
February 2020: Around 4,000 pounds of chicken bowl products from CS Best Food Inc. were recalled after packaging issues indicated they may have contained allergens not declared on the label.
-
March 2020: Weaver Brand chicken patties were recalled from Sam’s Club stores in nearly two dozen states after consumer complaints of foreign material contamination. Nearly 100,000 pounds were affected.
-
April 2020: Tyson Foods recalled more than 400,000 pounds of chicken products, including pre-breaded chicken tenderloins and patties, due to possible foreign matter contamination after receiving consumer complaints.
2021 Chicken Recalls
-
February 2021: Around 100,000 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken breast fillet products sold under the InnovAsian Cuisine brand were recalled by InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises after complaints of hard clear plastic found in the chicken.
-
April 2021: Ready-to-eat chicken strip products sold under brand names like Jenny Craig and Body Basics were recalled nationwide by Harvest Food Distributors after products tested positive for listeria.
-
July 2021: Chicken and pork tamales sold at Costco were recalled by Taylor Farms Northwest due to possible listeria contamination. The recall affected over 130,000 pounds of tamales.
2022 Chicken Recalls
-
February 2022: Tyson Foods recalled around 129,000 pounds of frozen, fully cooked chicken strips after two consumer complaints of extraneous materials, including pieces of metal, in the product.
-
April 2022: Ready-to-eat chicken salad products sold at Starbucks and Fred Meyer were recalled due to potential listeria contamination. Over 250,000 pounds were recalled by Elevation Foods.
-
November 2022: More than 15,000 pounds of stuffed chicken products sold under the Big Y and Fresh Acres brands were recalled by Glasgow, Inc (Fairplains Provisions) due to misbranding and undeclared allergens.
2023 Chicken Recalls
-
February 2023: Conagra Brands recalled around 2.5 million pounds of poultry products, including chicken tenderloins, patties, and nuggets, that may have contained small pieces of plastic and metal.
-
March 2023: Ready-to-eat chicken Caesar salad sold at Target, Giant Eagle and other major retailers were recalled due to potential listeria contamination. The salads were produced by Fresh Express.
-
October 2023: More than 10,000 pounds of breaded chicken products sold under brands like Chick-fil-A and Chicken Time were recalled by Serenade Foods after consumer complaints of pieces of plastic in the chicken.
2024 Chicken Recalls
-
January 2024: Nearly 43,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products produced by Plainville Farms were recalled after a sample tested positive for salmonella.
-
April 2024: Conagra Brands recalled around 380,000 pounds of frozen chicken and pork bowl products sold under the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu brand due to misbranding and undeclared allergens on the products.
-
October 2024: The major BrucePac recall was initiated after listeria was detected in products. Nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken and turkey products sold at major retailers like Aldi and Trader Joe’s were recalled.
As you can see, there have been numerous high-profile chicken recalls over the past several years spanning millions of pounds of products and involving major brands sold at top grocery chains, restaurants and other outlets. Foodborne pathogens like salmonella and listeria have been the main contamination issues triggering these recalls.
When you hear about a chicken recall, check to see if you have any of the affected products at home. If so, throw them away or return them rather than trying to cook or eat them. Stay updated on the latest recall news and always handle and cook chicken properly to minimize your risk. Being an informed consumer remains key to protecting you and your loved ones from potential foodborne illness.
Schools that may have received recalled poultry products
Many big grocery stores got recalled chicken and turkey products. The tainted meals also got sent to hundreds of schools in at least 21 states and the District of Columbia.
Schools that may have received these products are located in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, the FSIS said in a preliminary list released on Oct. 17, 2024.
The FSIS list of schools that received recalled poultry was updated on Oct. 24 to include more schools in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico and Vermont.
Ready-to-eat meat recall 2024
The FSIS first alerted consumers to the recall on Oct. 9, 2024.
The agency found Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria that causes listeria infections, in BrucePac’s ready-to-eat chicken products while they were doing regular tests. Further testing traced the source of the bacteria back to BrucePac ready-to-eat chicken, the FSIS says.
The FSIS subsequently updated its list of recalled products on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 to include more products.
Anyone getting sick hasn’t been linked to the recall, but the alert from the FSIS says they are “concerned that some product may be available for use in restaurants, institutions, and other establishments.” It’s also possible that those other businesses used the ready-to-eat chicken in items that are still on store shelves or in people’s homes.
If you have any products included in the recall, you should not eat them. Instead, throw them away or return them to where you purchased the products.
Nearly 10 million pounds of meat, chicken recalled over listeria risk
FAQ
Why is perdue chicken being recalled?
Metal Wire Fragments Trigger Recall of 167,000 Lbs of Perdue Chicken Products. HealthDay News — Perdue Foods has recalled over 167,000 pounds of chicken nuggets and tenders after consumers complained of finding bits of metal in the products.
How to check if chicken is recalled?
Recalls. gov. You can also get the Food Safety Widget to display food safety alerts and recalls on your Web site. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FSIS issues recalls on meat, poultry, and egg products.
What chicken is being recalled at Walmart?
Walmart recently took back some Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine products because they might have Listeria in them. This recall includes both the 32. 8-oz and 12. 3-oz tray packages with specific best-by dates. Additionally, FreshRealm is recalling its ready-to-eat chicken fettuccine alfredo products, which are sold at Walmart and Kroger, because of the same concern.