Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a significant recall involving nearly 10 million pounds of poultry and cooked meats due to potential Listeria contamination. This recall affects several popular grocery chains, including Costco, Trader Joe’s, Target, and 7-11, with Trader Joe’s Chicken Chow Mein being one of the items recalled.
According to Fox11 News, the affected meat was produced by Oklahoma-based company BrucePac, with a total of 9,986,245 pounds at risk of Listeria contamination. Among the recalled items are both cooked meats and various poultry products. BrucePac’s chicken can be found in numerous offerings, especially various chicken salads.
On the USDA website, Trader Joe’s highly favored Chicken Chow Mein is listed among the recalled products. Other Trader Joe’s items affected include the “Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad” and two other salad varieties.
Additional impacted products include El Monterey Mexican Grill Chicken and Cheese Taquitos. Consumers can access detailed information about the specific batches and dates involved in the recall on the USDA website: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2024-10/Recall-028-2024-Labels.pdf.
The recall follows a routine inspection by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where Listeria was detected in the BrucePac cooked chicken products.
FSIS has noted that Listeria poses a heightened risk to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of Listeria infection can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, and in some cases, gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea.
As of October 15, there have been no reported cases of illness or deaths associated with the consumption of these recalled meats. However, health officials are advising people to check their refrigerators for any affected products.
