Listeria Meat Recall Extends to Walmart, Amazon and More: See List

A recall of nearly 10 million pounds of meat and chicken products over fears they may be contaminated with listeria has now expanded to private label brands at some of the largest grocery chains in the United States.

The recall, which initially targeted products from lesser-known brands, quickly expanded to include major retail chains and well-known brands such as Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix, HEB, Target, Meijer, Amazon Fresh, Aldi, Trader Joe's and more.

The expanded recall comes after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed listeria contamination at a BrucePac facility in Durant, Oklahoma, on Thursday. This contamination was discovered in ready-to-eat chicken products, resulting in a massive recall. BrucePac, an Oregon-based company, supplies meat and poultry products to various brands and retailers, many of which use the products in prepared meals.

Which products are affected by the recall?

By Sunday, the recall list had been expanded to include an extensive range of products, with a detailed 203-page PDF listing the affected products. Most items are ready-to-eat salads with a best-before date of October 13 or earlier, while some frozen foods – such as those sold under the Great Value (Walmart), Boston Market, HEB and El Monterey brands – are also affected.

Newsweek asked the USDA for comment via email on Monday.

How dangerous is listeria?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States and is responsible for approximately 1,600 cases of food poisoning in the United States annually, resulting in approximately 260 deaths. Symptoms of Listeria infection may appear shortly after exposure or may take up to 10 weeks to appear, making it difficult to trace the source of contamination.

Signs and symptoms vary depending on the person and the location of the infection. In most cases, the bacteria remain in the intestines and cause the typical symptoms of food poisoning, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Typically, these symptoms begin within 24 hours of eating contaminated food and last one to three days.

Earlier this year, Boar's Head deli meat products were voluntarily recalled due to listeria contamination. The incident resulted in 59 hospitalizations and 10 deaths.

Listeria Recall: Full List of Affected Stores

There have been no reported cases of illness associated with these BrucePac products, but consumers who have had something recalled are urged to return it to the store for a full refund. Read the full list of affected retail chains:

• Walmart: Marketside and great value.
• Kroger: Kroger's own brand that could also appear in Kroger chains such as Ralphs, Dillon's and King Soopers.
• Publix: Publix Deli Chicken Street Taco Kit, best before date: June 24th to October 16th.
• Albertsons: Signature Select (this includes all Albertsons-owned chains, including Safeway and Vons).
• Costco: Red's Mini Burritos.
• Meijer: Meijer ready-to-eat salads
• Amazon Fresh: Ready meals and frozen meals from the Amazon Fresh brand.
• Aldi: Little Salad Bar ready-made salads and Fusia.
• Giant Eagle: Giant Eagle brand salads.
• Goal: Prepare and collect ready-to-eat salads and frozen meals.
• Trader Joe's: Ready-made salads and frozen meals from Trader Joe's.
• Burrito 28: Chicken Quesadilla, Chicken Street Taco, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Express Meal Kits
• Don Pancho's: Chicken Quesadilla, Chicken Street Taco, Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Express Meal Kits (posted on FDA website).
• Dole: Ready-to-eat salads.

When it comes to frozen food, the following businesses are affected:

• HEB: Three frozen chicken dishes from HEB.
• El Monterey: Chicken Enchilada Meal, Spicy Chipotle Chicken Bowl and Chicken Cheese Taquitos.
• Udi is gluten-free
• Atkins
• Boston Market
• Eat! Asian style
• Gordon Choice
• Jenny Craig
• Michael Angelos
• Michelinas
• Raos
• Whitson's Culinary Group