Frozen halal chicken meals recalled nationwide over listeria concerns

The US Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced recalls for two imported chicken products that could cause illness due to listeria.

According to the FSIS , the frozen ready-to-eat chicken kebab products were voluntarily recalled by the Canada-based Al-Safa US LLC following the discovery of potential listeria.

The affected products were produced in Canada on June 5, 2024, and imported to the United States on June 13 and 21.

The FSIS shared that the two products affected by the recall are:

— 12.1-oz. cardboard box package containing “Al Safa Halal Charcoal Grilled Chicken Seekh Kebab Grilled, Minced, Chicken Patty Kebab” with “NOV 30 25” and “0605404” printed on a sticker on the outside of the package.

— 14.11-oz. cardboard box package containing “Al Safa Halal Fully Cooked Chicken Chapli Kebab Seasoned Chicken Patty” with “NOV 30 25” and “0605416” printed on a sticker on the outside of the package.

The agency also shared that the boxes have the establishment number 866 inside the Canadian mark of inspection.

The recalled products are sold at stores across the country, though the agency did not specify which stores.

Approximately 2,010 pounds of the affected product has been recalled, and consumers are being advised to check their freezers for any of the product to either be discarded or returned to where it was purchased.

Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant women and newborns, those with weakened immune systems, and adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

The germ can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, and preterm labor among pregnant women. According to the CDC , others can be infected, but it is less common that they will become very ill. Most symptoms in those who are healthy include headache, stiff neck, fever, and flu-like symptoms.

An estimated 1,600 people get sick from listeria each year, and about 260 die, making it the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the US, according to the CDC.

The FDA advises anyone worried about or consumed the product and feels ill to contact their health care provider immediately.