Chicken Salad Recall in Four States After Listeria Warning Issued

A chicken salad product is being recalled after it was found to contain potentially dangerous and sometimes deadly bacteria, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

On Saturday, Salinas, California-based Fresh Express Incorporated announced a voluntary recall of its 5.75-ounce Gourmet Café Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls after learning that the chicken used in the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenesa bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

The affected salad bowls were distributed in four states: California, Louisiana, Texas and Washington.

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The possible problem was due to chicken supplied by BrucePac, which had issued its own withdrawal due to possible listeria contamination.

Fresh Express stated in the recall notice that it stopped sourcing chicken from the involved BrucePac facilities, pending further inspections and approvals from the United States Department of Agriculture. Consumers are encouraged to stay informed about ongoing food recalls to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Fresh Express said only the chicken component is affected and other ingredients, such as fresh vegetables, are not affected.

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Affected Gourmet Café 5.75-ounce Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls can be identified from the following product IDs: Use By Dates of October 26, October 27, October 30, and November 2, 2024, Package Codes S281, S282, S285, S288 and a universal product code (UPC or barcode number) 071279565620.

news week has contacted Fresh Express via an online form outside of business hours for comment.

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Consumers are urged not to consume any of the recalled products and instead throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Customers can also contact Fresh Express at (800) 242-5472 for more information during business hours.

Listeria monocytogenes is a strain of bacteria that can cause listeriosis infection, which can lead to serious health problems, especially in vulnerable populations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), people at high risk, including pregnant women, newborns, adults age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems, are especially susceptible to complications.

In high-risk groups, the infection can cause serious symptoms such as fever, headache and abdominal pain, and in pregnant women, it can cause miscarriage or stillbirth.

According to the CDC, healthy people may experience mild flu-like symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhea. About 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis annually, and about 260 cases are fatal.

Listeria infections are the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the country.

news week recently reported that the BrucePac recall affects several major supermarket chains, including Walmart, kroger, Aim, Amazon Fresh, Aldi and Trader Joe’s.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has published a complete list of affected products: a 345-page search documentwith images of product labels and additional information so customers can check if a product is safe.