Chicken meal recalled from stores over listeria risk

TOPEKA (KSNT) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says more than 13,000 pounds of a ready-to-eat chicken fried rice product is being recalled over listeria risks.

This announcement comes from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regarding products from Garland Ventures in Texas. In total, 13,842 pounds of the chicken fried rice product is being recalled as it may contain listeria monocytogenes which can make people severely ill.

The recall impacts 12 ounce trays containing the brand "chicken fried rice diced chicken meat with vegetables and rice in a savory sauce." The product bears the lot code "WK10CFR" and a best if used by date of Nov. 10, 2024 on the label. They also have the establishment number "EST. P-31993" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The product was made on Nov. 10, 2023 and sold in stores nationwide, including in Kansas.

The FSIS said the issue was first noticed following testing which revealed the presence of listeria. No confirmed reports of people experiencing illness in connection to the recalled product has been received by the FSIS to date.

People who eat food contaminated with listeria may become sickened with listeriosis. This is a serious infection which primarily impacts older adults, people with weak immune systems and pregnant women and newborns.

The FSIS said listeriosis can lead to fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions along with other gastrointestinal issues. In pregnant women, the infection can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths and premature delivery along with a life-threatening infection for newborns. Listeriosis can lead to serious or even fatal infections in older adults and those with weak immune systems. Those who experience flu-like symptoms within two months of eating contaminated food are encouraged to seek medical care.

The concern with this recall lies with the possibility that the product may still be in some people's refrigerators or freezers. If you've purchased the recalled product, you're encouraged to throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.

If you have any questions, you can contact the account managers at Garland Ventures by calling 972-485-8878. You can also send an email to evelyntsai@ballyplus.com or phoebehsu@ballyplus.com. If you have food safety-related questions, you can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or send an email to mphotline@usda.gov.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts.