Tyson Chicken Products Recalled Due to Listeria Contamination

 Posted on July 12, 2021 in Listeria

Food products that are sold to people in the United States should be safe to eat. Unfortunately, there are many ways that foods can become contaminated by viruses, bacteria, or other toxins that can cause harm to people. When outbreaks of foodborne illnesses occur, government organizations may require food product manufacturers to recall to ensure that unsafe foods are removed from the market. These types of recalls occur more frequently than most people realize, and one recent recall involved ready-to-eat chicken products manufactured by Tyson Foods that had been contaminated with listeria.

Millions of Pounds of Food Products Recalled From Stores and Institutions

After being notified of multiple cases of listeria infections in June of 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated food products that may have caused these illnesses. Inspectors found the presence of listeria bacteria in a number of frozen, fully-cooked chicken products. Following this discovery, Tyson Foods, Inc. initiated a recall of a wide variety of these products.

In addition to products made available for retail sale, the recall also included foods provided to restaurants, hospitals, nursing facilities, schools, and other institutions. The products recalled included fully cooked chicken strips, boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced grilled chicken breasts, pulled white chicken, chicken wing sections, and fully cooked pizza with chicken. In addition to Tyson, brands of recalled products include Jet’s Pizza, Marco’s Pizza, Little Caesars, and Casey’s General Store. In total, nearly nine million pounds of food products produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021 were recalled.

Even though the recall has removed the majority of these products from the market, items that had been purchased previously present the risk of infection, and they may cause contamination after touching containers, surfaces, or refrigerators. Consumers should watch out for the signs of a listeria infection, which will usually occur between one and four weeks after eating food that is contaminated. Symptoms include headaches, fever, aches in the neck or muscles, problems with balance, confusion, or convulsions. Pregnant people are at higher risk, and an infection may lead to a miscarriage or premature birth. People over the age of 65 or those who have weakened immune systems are more likely to experience severe illness.

Contact Our Illinois Listeria Food Poisoning Attorneys

At Newland & Newland, LLP, we can help you determine your legal options if you have contracted a listeria infection from contaminated foods. We will work with you to pursue financial compensation that addresses the damages you and your family have suffered. Contact our Illinois food poisoning injury lawyers at 312-981-0409 to set up your complimentary consultation.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/precooked-chicken-07-21/index.html

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/tyson-foods-inc.-recalls-ready-eat-chicken-products-due-possible-listeria