Tyson Foods has issued a voluntary recall of 8 million pounds of its pre-cooked chicken products. What do you do with 8 million pounds of chicken, possibly contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes?
So far, three cases have been linked to Tyson Foods products, resulting in one death. the packages are produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021.
They are marked “establishment code P-7089”.
The products were sold at Publix, Walmart, and Wegmann’s. Restaurants that purchased the chicken include Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza, and Little Caesars. The complete list of retailers is not currently available.
In a press release, Tyson said:
“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 affected products were produced at one plant located in Dexter, Missouri, between December 26 of 2020 and April 13 of 2021 and distributed to foodservice and retail customers nationwide and Puerto Rico.”
According to the statement, the recall affects a line of “frozen, fully cooked chicken products” that were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021. USA Today reports that the products in question were sold at Public, Wegmann’s, and Wal-Mart, among possibly other retailers.
The recall also apparently affects fully cooked and frozen chicken products that were provided to a number of restaurants, including Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza and Little Caesars. A full list of retailers and restaurants was not available as of Monday.
According to the notice from the USDA. the Department of Agriculture was first notified of two listeria cases on June 9, 2021. The department then conducted a follow-up investigation that found at least one other case of listeria, and determined that “there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to precooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc.” The department stated that at least one death has been linked to the outbreak.
Check your freezer and see if you have any of the products slated for recall. If you find any, return it to your local retailer for a refund.
Tyson also published a list of products affected by the recall and noted that affected lots each bear “establishment code P-7089” on the packaging. Customers with concerns or possible contamination reports are encouraged to call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854)
