Check your freezer — Tyson Foods has recalled nearly 8.5 million pounds of frozen chicken because of concerns it might be contaminated with Listeria.
The company, which is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the recall, said it has not received any reports of anyone getting sick from eating the chicken.
“We’re committed to providing safe, healthy food that people rely on every day,” said Scott Brooks, senior vice president, food safety and quality assurance at Tyson Foods. “We are taking this precautionary step out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our commitment to safety.”
The product in question was produced at a plant in Dexter, Missouri, between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021. It was distributed to foodservice and retail customers nationwide and Puerto Rico.
The product is being recalled because the company believes, from its own internal inspections, that it could have been exposed to Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacteria. The concern about potential contamination arose long after the product had shipped.
Includes private label products
The recall includes Tyson brand frozen, fully cooked products as well as private label products made for customers. Some of these products were sold to food service companies. The rest was distributed to grocery stores nationwide.
If you have Tyson frozen chicken in your freezer, there are three things to look for:
A packaging location of Dexter, Mo.;
A packaging date that falls between Dec. 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021;
An establishment code that reads P-7089.
The company said a list of retail stores that received the product will eventually be posted on USDA’s website at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
As foodborne illnesses go, Listeria is not the most severe. However, it can be very serious for people who are pregnant or older than age 65, or who have weakened immune systems. Symptoms are similar to the flu and according to the Mayo Clinic, healthy people don’t always show symptoms of the infection.