Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a significant recall involving nearly 10 million pounds of poultry and ready-to-eat meat due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. This extensive recall affects several major retailers, including Costco, Trader Joe’s, Target, and 7-Eleven, with Trader Joe’s popular Chicken Chow Mein also on the list.
According to Fox11 News, the meat in question was produced by BrucePac, a company based in Oklahoma, with a total of 9,986,245 pounds possibly contaminated. The affected products include a variety of cooked meats and poultry, with BrucePac chicken being used in multiple items, especially various chicken salads.
Among the recalled items detailed on the USDA website, Trader Joe’s Chicken Chow Mein is noted as a key product; other recalled offerings from Trader Joe’s include the “Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad” among others.
Additional impacted products feature items like El Monterey Mexican Grill Chicken and Cheese Taquitos. Specific batch information and dates related to the recall can be found on the USDA website at this link: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2024-10/Recall-028-2024-Labels.pdf
The recall was initiated following an inspection by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), during which Listeria was detected in the BrucePac chicken products.
FSIS notes that Listeria can pose a serious risk to vulnerable populations, including the elderly, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of infection may include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea.
As of October 15, there have been no reported illnesses or deaths linked to the consumption of these recalled meats. However, concerned consumers are advised to check their refrigerators for any affected products.
