Tyson Foods issued the voluntary recall after two people became ill with listeriosis, the Agriculture Department said in a statement on Saturday.
Tyson Foods is recalling 8.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat frozen chicken products after one person died and two other people have been linked to possible listeriosis contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Tyson Foods issued the voluntary recall after two people became ill with listeriosis, the Agriculture Department said in a statement on Saturday.
The recalled frozen, fully cooked chicken products include chicken strips, chicken pizza, and pulled chicken breasts, according to Tyson’s product list, according to The New York Times.
According to the report, the items were sold under the brand names Tyson, Jet’s Pizza, and Casey’s General Store, the Times reported.
The items were produced between December 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021, the Agriculture department said in a statement.
The recalled products have the establishment number “EST.P-7089” printed on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection, the department said.
On June 9, the FSIS was notified of two people sickened with listeriosis and said in a statement that they were “working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners.”
Further investigation found evidence linking those cases the Tyson pre-cooked chicken, the statement said.
“The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6, 2021, and June 5, 2021,” the agency said.
The items that were possibly tainted were shipped out to hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools, and Department of Defense locations nationwide, according to the department.
Symptoms of listeriosis, an infection caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, include fever, convulsions, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal issues, according to the Agriculture Department.
Those who may be at higher risk include older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns, according to the Agriculture Department.
The FSIS said they are continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products, the statement said.
For food safety questions consumers can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). There is also a live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (E.T.) Monday through Friday.
