Tyson Foods recall 8.5mn pounds of chicken products due to Listeria concerns

Tyson Foods Inc. has recalled about 8.5 million pounds of chicken products amid fears of possible listeria contamination in ready-to-eat food. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said that experts got to know that the frozen, fully cooked chicken products that were produced between December 2020 and April 2021 were probably contaminated. The products were distributed to food service and retail customers across the United States as well as Puerto Rico and the incident came to light after three people became ill with listeriosis. 

"The products subject to recall bear establishment number 'EST. P-7089' on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations," a statement from FSIS read.

Recall initiated out of 'cuation'

Tyson Foods Inc., on the other hand, said that while there is no conclusive evidence that the products were contaminated at the time of shipment, the voluntary recall is being initiated out of an “abundance of caution”. The company also informed that no other products were affected by the recall. 

According to a press release, the agriculture department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service found evidence linking listeria to pre-cooked chicken at Tyson after an investigation detected three cases of illnesses from the pathogenic bacteria, including one death, between April 6 and June 5. The inspection service said that during the routine samples collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people. It added that one of the samples was collected at Tyson Foods. 

“FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products,” the agency said. 

It is worth mentioning that Listeriosis is a foodborne bacterial infection that can cause fever, headache, body ache, loss of balance, stiff neck, confusion, loss of senses and a few gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. The infection can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.

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