13,720 Pounds of Chicken Products Recalled Across 7 States

The action has been given a ‘High-Class I’ designation, indicating potential for serious, adverse health consequences or death.

The Department of Agriculture building in Washington on March 18, 2012. Reuters

Georgia-based Suzanna’s Kitchen is recalling roughly 13,720 pounds of ready-to-eat grilled chicken products from the market due to potential contamination from listeria monocytogenes bacteria, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said in a Jan. 16 statement.

The recall applies to 10-lb. cases that contain two 5 lb. bags of fully cooked grilled chicken breast fillets with rib meat, bearing the lot code 60104 P1382 287 5 J14 on the case and the package.

The items, manufactured on Oct. 14, were shipped to distribution centers for foodservice sales across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Ohio.

The recall has been designated “High-Class I”—the most severe of the three recall classifications issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A High-Class I recall is issued when “there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

“The problem was discovered when a third-party laboratory sample reported a positive Listeria monocytogenes result in the ready-to-eat fully cooked grilled chicken breast fillets product. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider,” FSIS said.

The Epoch Times reached out to Suzanna’s Kitchen for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

According to an August 2024 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the United States. Listeria is estimated to infect 1,250 people annually, resulting in 172 deaths.

People most at risk of harmful consequences from listeria infection are pregnant women, newborns, individuals with weakened immune systems, and adults aged 65 and above.

In November, the Ambriola Company announced a recall of multiple cheese products nationwide after routine testing confirmed the presence of listeria. The products have expiration dates ranging from February to May.

Earlier in August, North Carolina-based Viva Raw withdrew two lots of pet foods, citing salmonella and listeria contamination.

Symptoms of listeria depend on whether the illness is invasive or intestinal.

Intestinal symptoms may appear within 24 hours of eating food contaminated with the bacteria, the CDC said in a Feb. 3 post. Symptoms can include diarrhea and vomiting, and are “usually mild,” the agency said. “However, some people with intestinal illness develop invasive illness.”

When a person has invasive illness, the bacteria spread beyond the intestines. Symptoms of invasive illness typically start within two weeks of consuming the contaminated product.

Pregnant women may suffer from fever and flu-like symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches. Other infected individuals may have these symptoms as well as headache, confusion, seizure, loss of balance, and stiff neck, according to the agency.

“Symptoms in pregnant women are usually mild. Some pregnant women never have symptoms,” the CDC said.

However, if a woman is infected during pregnancy, it usually results in miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, or life-threatening infections in the newborn, it said.

An April 2025 study published in the Clinical Infection in Practice journal termed listeria a “major public health concern” due to the bacteria’s ability to survive in diverse environments and cause severe illness among vulnerable people. Listeria can even survive in refrigerated conditions.

Listeria can contaminate food products right from the farm to the table, according to the study. For instance, produce may get contaminated during irrigation in the water. Dairy contamination can occur during milking or pasteurizing.

Between 2012 and 2024, there were 27 listeria outbreak incidents in the United States, according to the study.

“Persistent outbreaks underscore the critical need for rigorous food safety practices, enhanced diagnostic tools, and sustained public awareness programs,” the study said.

“Public health campaigns and educational initiatives are essential components of Listeria prevention strategies. These efforts focus on informing consumers about safe food handling practices, such as the importance of cooking foods at appropriate temperatures and avoiding high-risk products such as unpasteurized dairy.”