FSIS Issues Health Alert For Frozen, Cooked Diced Poultry Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service or FSIS has issued a public health alert for around 130,860 pounds of frozen fully cooked, diced chicken products citing the potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The agency has warned against 4-lb. plastic bags containing “FULLY COOKED CHICKEN MEAT 3/4 DICED WHITE” with code 13530, Est. number P-18237, and pack dates of “01/25/2021” and “01/26/2021.”; as well as 4-lb. plastic bags containing “FULLY COOKED CHICKEN MEAT DARK/WHITE 3/4 DICED” with code 16598, Est. number P-45638, and pack dates “24/MAR/2021” and “23/MAR/2021.”

The frozen, fully cooked, diced chicken items were packed on January 25, January 26, March 23, and March 24. The products bear establishment numbers “P-18237” or “P-45638” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The affected items were distributed by Houston, Texas -based Big Daddy Foods, Inc., and were further distributed to consumers at local food banks in Florida through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program in individual food boxes. The products were distributed between February 25 through March 1, and March 29 through April 8, at temporary locations.

The FSIS discovered the problem during its routine inspection activities when it was observed that products requiring recooking due to possible Lm contamination had been repackaged without being recooked. A subsequent FSIS investigation determined other affected product had been further distributed in commerce.

However, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria can cause listeriosis, a serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. It can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. The symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

Consumers who have received these products are urged not to consume them and to throw them away.

FSIS advises all consumers to reheat ready-to-eat product until steaming hot.

In recent warnings, the FSIS last week issued a health alert for around 165 pounds of frozen Siluriformes products imported from Brazil, which is ineligible to export Siluriformes products to the United States.

FSIS in mid April issued an alert against 211,406 pounds of raw ground turkey products over concerns of Salmonella Hadar illness. The agency in early April warned against about 39 pounds of raw ground chorizo sausage products due to concerns that they may be contaminated with extraneous materials.

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