A chicken salad product is being recalled after it was found to potentially contain a dangerous and sometimes deadly bacterium, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
On Saturday, Fresh Express Incorporated, based in Salinas, California, announced a voluntary recall of its 5.75-ounce Gourmet Café Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls after learning that chicken used in the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe and sometimes fatal infections,
The affected salad bowls were distributed in four states: California, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington.
The potential issue was traced to chicken supplied by BrucePac, which had issued its own recall due to possible listeria contamination.
Fresh Express stated in the recall notice that it has ceased sourcing chicken from the implicated BrucePac facility, pending further United States Department of Agriculture inspections and approval. Consumers are encouraged to stay informed about ongoing food recalls to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Fresh Express said that only the chicken component is affected, and other ingredients, such as fresh vegetables, remain unaffected.
Affected 5.75-ounce Gourmet Café Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls can be identified from the following product identifications: 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.
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Newsweek has contacted Fresh Express via online form outside of business hours for comment.
Consumers are urged not to consume any of the recalled products and instead should dispose of them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Customers may also reach Fresh Express at (800) 242-5472 for more information during business hours.
Listeria monocytogenes is a strain of bacteria that can cause the listeriosis infection which can lead to serious health issues, particularly for vulnerable populations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people at high risk, including pregnant women, newborns, adults aged 65 and older, and individuals with weakened immune systems, are especially susceptible to complications.
In high-risk groups, infection can lead to severe symptoms such as fever, headache, and abdominal pain, and in pregnant women, it may result in miscarriage or stillbirth.
According to the CDC, healthy individuals may experience mild flu-like symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea. Approximately 1,600 people in the U.S. contract listeriosis annually, with around 260 cases proving fatal.
Listeria infections are the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the country.
Newsweek has recently reported that the BrucePac recall affects a number of major grocery chains, including Walmart, Kroger, Target, Amazon Fresh, Aldi and Trader Joe’s.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has released a full list of the products affected: a 345-page searchable document, with pictures of product labels and additional information so customers can check whether a product is safe.
