Costco recalls chicken products over listeria contamination

(NewsNation) — Costco has recalled more products over fears of listeria contamination, part of a much larger recall of ready-to-eat chicken.

The most recent recalls include Readywise 110 Serving Emergency Protein Bucket and Red's Southwestern Grill Chicken Mini Burritos, El Monterey Mexican Grill Chicken & Cheese Taquitos, Rana Chicken Truffle Carbonara and Tagliatelle Grilled White Chicken & Portabello Mushroom Sauce.

Costco typically contacts shoppers who have purchased a recalled item and also maintains a list that includes the lot codes and best-by dates of affected products.

The majority of the recalls were connected to a large recall of BrucePac ready-to-eat chicken products found to be contaminated with listeria.

Readywise's serving bucket is a product of prepared packages of shelf-stable food with a shelf life of 25 years, meant to be used as emergency supplies. The company said the recall was based on potential listeria contamination by one of its suppliers.

Customers are urged not to consume the product but should return it to Costco for a full refund.

Red's said the grilled chicken mini burritos were the only ones impacted by the recall, and a voluntary recall was expanded out of caution. Consumers should also return those items to Costco for a refund rather than consuming them.

The El Monterey and Rana recalls are part of the Department of Agriculture's Class 1 recall of cooked chicken products produced in BrucePac's Durant, Okla., facility. Items should be returned to Costco for a refund, and the food should not be consumed.

The USDA list of products affected by the BrucePac recall includes 343 pages listing hundreds of different items containing the ready-to-eat meat produced between May 31, 2024, and Oct. 8, 2024. The products were shipped to other distributors, including restaurants, schools and institutions.

According to the USDA, there have been no cases of listeriosis connected to the BrucePac products, and the contamination was found through routine testing.

Listeriosis can cause symptoms including fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions and gastrointestinal symptoms. In pregnant people, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirths or premature delivery. Older people and those with weakened immune systems can contract serious and sometimes fatal infections.

Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics. Anyone who experiences flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food, especially those at high risk, should seek medical care.