Tyson recalls 8.5 million pounds of frozen poultry for possible listeria contamination

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UPDATE: The size of the recall grew by close to 500,000 pounds to nearly 9 million pounds. Learn more about the increase here.

Tyson Foods is recalling approximately 8.5 million pounds of frozen, cooked chicken products for possible listeria contamination.

The company and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Saturday night.

The recall includes Tyson branded products sold at stores nationwide and private label products for restaurants, which include Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza and Little Caesars. Walmart, Publix and Wegmans are among the stores that sold the products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a food safety alert saying the products – which were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants and schools – may be linked to a listeria outbreak that has caused three illnesses and one death.

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“We are taking this precautionary step out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our commitment to safety,” said Scott Brooks, Tyson Foods senior vice president, food safety and quality assurance, in a news release.

According to Tyson Foods, the affected products were produced at one plant located in Dexter, Missouri, between Dec. 26 and April 13.

A list of the retailers that sold the affected products was not available Saturday and will be posted on the USDA website in the future, according to Tyson’s news release.

The company said it has been working with the USDA on the recall and 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.”

Tyson Foods is recalling approximately 8.5 million pounds of frozen, cooked chicken products for possible listeria contamination.

Each package of the recalled products has the establishment code P-7089. A full list of the recalled products is posted on the USDA website and Tysonfoods.com.

The USDA said consumers should not eat the products and should throw them away or return them. The CDC advises businesses to not serve or sell the recalled products.

“No other Tyson products are impacted by the recall, including but not limited to any Tyson brand fresh chicken; frozen, raw chicken products or chicken nuggets,” the company said.

Consumers with questions about the recall can call or text 1-855-382-3101, the company said, noting customer service representatives will be available beginning Sunday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT.

Listeria outbreak linked to chicken

According to the CDC, the three people who were sick in this outbreak ate foods served at a long-term care facility or hospital between April 6 and June 5. Two illnesses were in Texas and the other case was in Delaware.

When two or more people get “the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak,” the CDC says.

Listeria can cause common food poisoning symptoms, like diarrhea and fever, the CDC says. But it can also cause severe illness, known as invasive listeriosis, when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body.

Symptoms of severe illness usually start one to four weeks after eating contaminated food, but symptoms can start as late as 10 weeks after.

Adults 65 or older, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness from listeria, the CDC says.

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Tyson Foods chicken recall 2021

The following products are included in the recall, which in addition to products sold at stores nationwide, includes chicken distributed to restaurants and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants and schools.

Find product codes and date codes of the affected products on the USDA list.

20-ounce bag Tyson Pulled Chicken Breast – Fully Cooked, Boneless Skinless with Rib Meat, Seasoned, Smoke Flavor Added
22-ounce bag Tyson Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast – Boneless Skinless with Rib Meat, Seasoned
12-ounce bag Tyson Fully Cooked Fajita Chicken Breast Strips – Boneless Skinless with Rib Meat Smoke Flavor and Caramel Color Added
22-ounce bag Tyson Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips – Boneless, Skinless with Rib Meat, Seasoned Smoke Flavor
12-ounce bag Tyson Fully Cooked Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast – Boneless skinless with Rib Meat, Seasoned
12-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Boneless, Skinless – Pulled Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
10-pound bag Jet’s Pizza – Fully Cooked, Fajita Seasoned, Boneless, Skinless – Diced Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked Diced Grilled Chicken Breast with Rib Meat
39.93-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Seasoned, Grilled – Boneless, Skinless Chicken Strips CN for Fajitas
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, All Natural, Low Sodium Boneless, Skinless – Pulled Dark and White Chicken
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Low Sodium, Boneless, Skinless – Pulled White Chicken
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Low Sodium, Boneless, Skinless – Pulled Chicken Natural Proportion
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Low Sodium, All Natural – ½ ” Diced Chicken Natural Proportion
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Low Sodium – ½ ” Diced White Chicken
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Grilled, Boneless, Skinless – Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat, for Fajitas
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat
8-pound bag Fully Cooked Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat
10-pound bag Casey’s General Store – Fully Cooked, Grilled Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Wood Fired Seasoned, Dice, Grilled, Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat, Smoke Flavor Added
7.5-pound bag Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Strips – Boneless, Skinless with Rib Meat
10-pound bag Marco’s Pizza Fully Cooked, Sliced Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat, Smoke Flavor Added
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Wood Fire Seasoned, Grilled Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat, Smoke Flavor Added
12-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Boneless Skinless Pulled Chicken Breast with Rib Meat
10.32-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, All Natural Low Sodium, Boneless, Skinless Pulled Dark and White Chicken
10-pound bag Little Caesars Fully Cooked Chicken Wing Sections
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Char-Broiled Boneless Chicken Meat for Fajitas
30-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Boneless, Skinless Dark Chicken Fajita Strips Smoke Flavor Added
30-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Roasted, Grill Marked, All Natural Boneless, Skinless Chicken Leg Strips
10-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Low Sodium, Boneless, Skinless Pulled Dark and White Chicken
12-pound bag Tyson Fully Cooked, Boneless, Skinless Pulled Chicken Breast with Rib Meat