Over 2,000 Pounds Of Chicken Products Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns

Listeria concerns in the food industry are nothing new, but they generate well-deserved anxiety over the potentially serious effects of contamination. That includes a new recall over frozen chicken products sold by Al Safa USA, imported from Canada on two dates in June 2024. At least 2000 pounds of chicken have been recalled due to potential Listeria contamination, according to a notice issued by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The two products subject to recall are specific frozen, ready-to-eat versions of the company's chicken patty kebabs.

The frozen kebab patties were produced on June 5 and imported into the U.S. on June 13 and 21. One item is the Al Safa Halal Charcoal Grilled Chicken Seekh Kebab Grilled, Minced, Chicken Patty Kebab. The package weighs 12.1 ounces and has a sticker that includes the text "NOV 30 25" and "0605404." The other product is the Al Safa Halal Fully Cooked Chicken Chapli Kebab Seasoned Chicken Patty, which clocks in at 14.11 ounces. It has a sticker featuring the text "NOV 30 25" and "0605416."

Both recalled products have a Canadian inspection mark displaying the number 866. Though Al Safa USA offers multiple frozen chicken products, the current recall applies only to the two products with the specified packaging and dates. Al Safa products not subject to recall include a full line of ready-to-eat, deli, and ready-to-cook lines of chicken, beef, lamb, veal, turkey, frankfurters, and vegetarian frozen foods.

In the current 2000-pound recall of Al Safa USA chicken products, FSIS warned that the frozen chicken could be tainted by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. In some cases, exposure to them leads to a diagnosis of listeriosis. It can cause mild or severe illness with symptoms ranging from muscle aches, headaches, loss of balance, and fever to confusion, convulsions, gastrointestinal issues, and more. For immunocompromised, elderly, and pregnant individuals, infections can have serious and even life-threatening consequences.

Listeria contamination of chicken prompted a far more extensive recall by Tyson Foods in 2021. It involved 9 million pounds of frozen ready-to-eat chicken products that were tied to multiple reported listeriosis illnesses and one death. Listeria outbreaks have also been linked to salad mixes, deli meats and cheeses, sprouts, melons, unpasteurized milk, fruits, and more. That includes a 2023 recall for potentially tainted peaches, plums, and nectarines. Pay special attention to leftovers for Listeria and other health risks.

There haven't been any documented illnesses connected to the recalled Al Safa products, but consumers should immediately discard or return them. That includes packages stored in freezers, since freezing does not kill dangerous bacteria that may be present. They only inactivate it until thawing, at which point the bacteria reactivate, multiply, and potentially cause foodborne illness.