Tyson
On Saturday, the food company announced that it is voluntarily recalling about 8.5 million pounds of frozen and cooked chicken products that may have been contaminated with listeria.
The affected products include chicken strips, chicken pizza and pulled chicken breasts that were sold under brand names including Tyson, Jet’s Pizza and Casey’s General Store, according to Tyson.
Those products were produced at a single facility in Dexter, Missouri, between Dec. 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021, and were distributed to foodservice and retail customers across the United States and Puerto Rico, the company added.
Each package of the affected retail products has the establishment code P-7089. Currently, no other Tyson products are impacted by the recall.
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The process of the recall began last month when the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) learned of two individuals who became sick with listeriosis, according to a statement from the FSIS.
Working alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, the organization learned that there was evidence linking listeria to the Tyson products.
The investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6 and June 5. The FSIS said it will continue to investigate if additional listeriosis cases were linked to the recalled products.
Listeria can cause symptoms such as fever, convulsions, muscle aches and gastrointestinal issues, among others. Pregnant women, newborns, older adults and those with a weakened immune system are most in danger of a serious case of the illness, according to the FSIS.
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The FSIS is now stating that people should throw away their recalled chicken or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
“We’re committed to providing safe, healthy food that people rely on every day,” said Scott Brooks, senior vice president, food safety and quality assurance at Tyson Foods. “We are taking this precautionary step out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our commitment to safety.”
