USDA expands meat recall on products sold at groceries such as H-E-B
There's a major meat recall linked to possible listeria contamination, with hundreds of ready-to-eat meals and salads sold at supermarket and specialty store chains across the U.S., including H-E-B, Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Target.
The recall involves nearly 12 million pounds of pre-cooked meat and poultry items produced from June 19-October 8.
On October 9, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a list of products from familiar names such as Dole, Boston Market, Great Value, and Michelina's, totaling 9.9 million pounds.
On October 15, they expanded that recall, adding another 1.7 million pounds of product to the recall -- including the addition of products that were distributed to schools -- bringing the total weight of potentially listeria-contaminated products to 11.7 million pounds.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service found Listeria monocytogenes in poultry samples. They found the source of the bacteria in ready-to-eat chicken made by BrucePac.
They appeared in a variety of items including frozen dinners and pre-made salads sold at Walmart, Trader Joe's, Target, 7-Eleven, Albertson's, Aldi, Amazon Fresh, H-E-B, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, and Save Mart.
No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported but the USDA warned about the risks of eating food contaminated with listeria bacteria. Tip: One easy way to avoid getting listeria is to opt for plant-based chicken instead.
For more info, call the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to [email protected].