Simply Fresh Market Responds To Potential Listeria In Chicken Salads

On January 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a safety alert for ready-to-eat chicken salad packages made by Simply Fresh Market of Marietta, Georgia, over concerns that it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis, a potentially dangerous infection for pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and those with a weakened immune system.

The affected products include 8-oz and 16-oz deli containers of Simply Fresh Market Chicken Salad with Apples & Walnuts that were produced on January 17, 2022. The products, which were shipped to three local markets in Atlanta, Georgia, have a sell by date of "1/25" on the label, along with establishment number of "EST. P47170." A recall was not issued since the product is no longer available for purchase, but there are concerns that some consumers may still have the product in their refrigerator. Consumers who still have the product are advised to throw it away or to return it to the place of purchase. So far there have been no reports of anyone being sickened from consuming the product, though the symptoms of listeriosis can take up to 70 days to show up, according to Food Poisoning Bulletin.

Simply Fresh Market were the ones to discover the potential contamination through a routine quality control product sampling. In a released statement, the company affirmed their commitment to food safety, noting that: (1) they have alerted the FSIS and worked with the USDA to ensure appropriate food safety and quality controls are in place; (2) they confirmed that only the one batch of chicken salad was affected; (3) it is no longer available for purchase; and (4) they have conducted further testing on their chicken salad products and can confirm that there are no other signs of contamination.

This safety alert comes after several listeria-related recalls in the last two months, including Dole salads in December and January, bagged kale at Kroger, and frozen items from Trader Joe's and Lidl in January. While it may seem that there are more food contaminations and recalls now than ever, particularly with respect to listeria, the cause is due more to advances in detection technology than a lapse in safety standards (via Food & Wine). However, it is always a good idea to pay attention to food recalls and other safety notices that may be issued from time to time.