Recalled chicken due to listeria sold at Trader Joe's, Aldi and more: Avoid these products
Millions of pounds of chicken and turkey products sold at major retailers across the country have been recalled.
The nearly 12 million pounds of recalled ready-to-eat poultry, produced by BrucePac (a pre-cooked meat producer), may have been contaminated with listeria, a type of bacteria that can cause serious illness if consumed, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
While many of the affected foods were sold nationwide at major retailers nationwide like Aldi, Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle, HEB, Trader Joe's and Kroger, hundreds of schools in at least 16 states and the District of Columbia also received the recalled products.
Schools that may have received these products are located in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, the FSIS said in a preliminary list released on Oct. 17, 2024.
The meat products included in the recall were produced between June 19, 2024, and Oct. 8, 2024, the FSIS says, and may have "best by" dates as far in the future as 2026.
“After learning that ready-to-eat chicken tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, we stopped production and immediately recalled all products that may have been affected,” BrucePac said in a statement in response to the recall.
The statement continued, “We are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to notify consumers and contact the food companies and distributors to whom we sold the recalled products.”
The products were distributed across the country to grocery stores, restaurants and other institutions. Additionally, some of the products were distributed by BrucePac and then distributed further, making the recall that much more complex.
Ready-to-eat meat recall 2024
The FSIS first alerted consumers to the recall on Oct. 9, 2024.
During routine testing, the agency discovered Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria that causes listeria infections, was present in ready-to-eat poultry products from BrucePac. Further testing traced the source of the bacteria back to BrucePac ready-to-eat chicken, the FSIS says.
The FSIS subsequently updated its list of recalled products on Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 to include more products.
There haven't been any illnesses associated with the recall, but the FSIS is "concerned that some product may be available for use in restaurants, institutions and other establishments," the alert says. It's also possible that those other institutions used the ready-to-eat poultry in products that are still on shelves or in consumers' homes.
If you have any products included in the recall, you should not eat them. Instead, throw them away or return them to where you purchased the products.
Meat recall list: Which products are affected?
The recall now includes more than 200 different ready-to-eat chicken and turkey products that amount to about 10 million pounds of recalled meat. Here is the USDA's full list of recalled products with photos of the product labels.
The products were sold in multiple major grocery stores, including:
Trader Joe's
Walmart
Aldi
Target
HEB
Giant Eagle
Kroger
The recall also affects products with well-known brand names like:
Jenny Craig
Atkins
Signature Select
Boston Market
Amazon Fresh
Michelina's
Rao's
Dole
Many of the recalled products are ready-made salad, rice or pasta bowls that include potentially contaminated chicken or turkey.
Some of the products included in the recall will show the establishment number 51205 or P-51205 inside or under the USDA mark of inspection, the FSIS says. However, due to further distribution and processing, some of the products may show different establishment numbers.
Some of the products in the recall include:
Red's Grilled Chicken & Cheddar Burrito, with lot code SD4271 and a best buy date of March 27, 2026.
Great Value Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, with lot code 24225 and a best by date of August 12, 2025.
Jenny Craig Classic Chicken Carbonara, with lot code 24243 and a best by date of February 21, 2026.
Trader Joe's Salad With BBQ Flavored Chicken, with various best by dates between September 29, 2024, and October 15, 2024.
Atkins Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, with product code J4281 and best by date of October 7, 2025.
Boston Market Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl, with product code J4268 and a best by date of September 24, 2025.
Michelina's Chicken Fried Rice, with product code J4239 and best by dates on or before August 26, 2025 or product code J4270 and best by dates on or before September 26, 2025.
Good & Gather Chicken Tikka Masala, with lot code SO58227 and a best by date of February 28, 2026.
Taylor Farms Caesar Salad With Chicken, with establishment number 34013 and best by dates on or before October 12, 2024.
Giant Eagle Fiesta Salad Bowl With Chicken, with establishment number 21794 and best by dates on or before October 11, 2024.
Amazon Fresh Cobb Salad With Chicken & Bacon, with establishment number 34013 and best by dates on or before October 11, 2024.
See the full list of product included in the recall and photos of the product labels here.
Listeria symptoms
Listeria is an infection caused by bacteria. When listeria infects the intestines, it causes gastrointestinal symptoms similar to other foodborne illnesses, such as diarrhea and vomiting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain.
Intestinal listeria infections usually start within 24 hours of eating the contaminated food. The symptoms are typically mild and resolve within three days, the CDC says.
Some people who get an intestinal listeria infection go on to develop a more severe invasive infection as well, meaning the bacteria has spread beyond the gut.
Invasive listeria is especially concerning for people who are pregnant, newborn babies, older adults and people who have weakened immune systems, the CDC says. In pregnant people, invasive listeria can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery and stillbirth. The illness can also cause a life-threatening infection in the newborn.
The signs of a invasive listeria infection in pregnant people include fever and flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches, according to the CDC.
Other people might also experience:
Headache
Stiff neck
Confusion
Loss of balance
Seizures
If you have symptoms of a listeria infection and may have eaten contaminated food, you should contact your health care provider.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com