Tyson recalls 8.5 million pounds of frozen chicken for listeria

"Tyson Foods is recalling approximately 8.5 million pounds of frozen, cooked chicken products for possible listeria contamination. The company and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Saturday night. The recall includes Tyson branded products and private label products for restaurants, which include Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza and Little Caesars," Kelly Tyko reports for USA Today. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a food safety alert saying the products – which were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants and schools – may be linked to a listeria outbreak that has caused three illnesses and one death."

The products were produced at a Dexter, Mo., plant between Dec. 26 and April 13. "Each package of the recalled products has the establishment code P-7089. A full list of the recalled products is posted on the USDA website and Tysonfoods.com," Tyko reports. "The USDA said consumers should not eat the products and should throw them away or return them."

The recall comes after three people were sickened with listeriosis, two in Texas and one in Delaware. All three patients ate chicken from the Dexter plant at a hospital or long-term-care facility between April 6 and June 5, Tyko reports. It can take up to 10 weeks to show symptoms after eating contaminated food, though most severe food poisoning or listeriosis symptoms show up in one to four weeks.