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A chicken salad product is being recalled after it was found to potentially contain a dangerous and sometimes fatal bacteria, 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 the chicken used in the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenesa bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections,
The affected salad bowls were distributed in four states: California, Louisiana, Texas and Washington.
The potential problem was traced to chicken supplied by BrucePac, which had has launched its own recall campaign due to possible listeria contamination.
Fresh Express stated in the recall notice that it has stopped purchasing chicken from the affected BrucePac plant pending further inspections and approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consumers are encouraged to stay informed about ongoing food recalls to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Fresh Express said only the chicken component is affected and other ingredients such as fresh vegetables remain unaffected.
The affected 5.75 ounce Gourmet Café Chicken Caesar Salad Bowls can be identified by the following product identifiers: best before 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 outside office hours for comment via the online form.
Consumers are urged not to consume any of the recalled products but instead throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Customers can also reach Fresh Express during business hours at (800) 242-5472 for more information.
Listeria monocytogenes is a strain of bacteria that can cause listeriosis infection, which can lead to serious health problems, especially for vulnerable populations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people at high risk, including pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 years and older, and individuals with weakened immune systems, are particularly susceptible to complications.
In high-risk groups, infection can lead to serious symptoms such as fever, headache and abdominal pain, and in pregnant women it can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.
According to the CDC, healthy individuals may experience mild flu-like symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea. About 1,600 people in the U.S. contract listeriosis each year, with about 260 cases proving fatal.
Listeria infections are the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the country.
Newsweek recently reported that the BrucePac recall affects a number of major supermarket chains, including Walmart, Kroger, Goal, Amazon Soda, Aldi and Trader Joe’s.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has released a full list of affected products: a searchable document of 345 pageswith images of product labels and additional information so customers can check whether a product is safe.