The USDA is issuing a public health alert about chicken strip products produced by House of Raeford in North Carolina because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product, but the illness caused by this bacteria can take up to 70 days to appear.
The ready to eat, fully cooked chicken breast strips were produced on packaged on September 29, 2016 and served to consumers in December 2016. They were shipped to a distributor in Cleveland, Ohio and then shipped to various restaurants to be served as part of fajitas and gyro dishes.
The symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning include high fever, muscle aches, stiff neck, confusion, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Pregnant women can suffer miscarriages and stillbirths when they contract listeriosis, even though they may only have mild flu-like symptoms.
If you ate gyro or fajita dishes in the Cleveland area in the month of December, monitor yourself for the symptoms of this illness. If you get sick, see your doctor and tell her you ate these products and about the listeriosis risk.
