IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Chicken sold at Aldi, Kroger recalled amid Listeria concerns

Ready-to-eat products sold at over a dozen chains, including Aldi, Kroger, Trader Joe's and Food Lion, have been recalled nationwide.
/ Source: TODAY

Chicken products sold at several large supermarket and restaurant chains across the country are being recalled due to a possible contamination with listeria.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded a recall that was initially issued on Sept. 28 by Tip Top Poultry of Rockmart, Georgia, to include ready-to-eat chicken items sold nationally.

Chicken made by Tip Top Poultry that is sold under various brands at stores like Aldi and Kroger is subject to a recall for listeria contamination.
Chicken made by Tip Top Poultry that is sold under various brands at stores like Aldi and Kroger is subject to a recall for listeria contamination. SOPA Images/ Bloomberg

The recall of poultry products includes cooked shredded and diced chicken, as well as frozen items. The products, sold under various brand names, were available at Trader Joe's, Target, Kroger, Aldi, Food Lion, Giant Supermarket, Piggly Wiggly and Jersey Mike's.

The USDA alert issued Tuesday stated that this is a class 1 recall, which means "there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to the contaminated chicken, according to the USDA.

The recall entails chicken salad, wraps, pot pies and more, including the product above.
The recall entails chicken salad, wraps, pot pies and more, including the product above. USDA

Tip Top Poultry discovered the issue after multiple samples of the chicken were tested in Canada which confirmed the presence of listeria monocytogenes, the USDA said in a news release.

The items subject to the recall, which include chicken salads, wraps, pot pies and more, were produced between Jan. 21 and Sept. 24, and bear the establishment number "Est. P-17453" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

They also bear product codes ranging from 10000 to 19999 and 70000 to 79999. Consumers are being asked to throw out these products or return them to the original store of purchase immediately.

The recall also includes some chicken products sold at Trader Joe's.
The recall also includes some chicken products sold at Trader Joe's. USDA

Pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly and others who may have weakened or compromised immune systems are particularly susceptible to getting sickened by the listeria bacteria, according to the FDA. Healthy individuals may only suffer short-term symptoms like high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, but more vulnerable populations may be at risk for serious or fatal infections.

About 1,600 people contract listeriosis annually and about 260 die from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This nationwide recall of cooked chicken is just the latest issued due to listeria contamination this year.

Growers Express issued one in July for vegetables sold under the Green Giant Fresh, Trader Joe’s and the Signature Farms brands. In March, avocados grown in California that were sold in six states were recalled due to potential contamination.