Boston Salads recalls chicken salad products over Listeria concerns

Boston Salads and Provisions, a manufacturer and distributor of deli prepared salads, is recalling approximately 222,959lbs of ready-to-eat chicken salad products, as they could potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The products subject to recall include Boston Salads Chicken Salad, Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad and White Chicken Salad; Dietz & Watson Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad, Tropical Cranberry Walnut and White Chicken Salad; Market Source Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad; Northern Haserot Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad; and Price Chopper Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad.

Affected products also include Rachael’s Gourmet Caesar Chicken Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, Chicken Salad, Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad and White Chicken Salad.

These products feature sell-by dates ranging from ‘9/13/2013′ through ’11/4/2013’ as well as the establishment number ‘P-17999’ inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Produced between 23 August 2013 and 14 October 2013, the implicated products were distributed to wholesalers for further distribution to retailers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The products affected by the recall might have expired; however, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is concerned that some of the batches may have remained frozen in consumer or retail freezers.

The New Hampshire Department of Public Health (NHDPH) determined that two samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes with matching PFGE patterns and alerted the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MADPH), which found the same problem and informed the FSIS of the positive results for Listeria.

There have been no reported illnesses to date associated with the consumption of these products, and consumers concerned about an illness have been advised to contact a healthcare provider.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, if consumed, can lead to listeriosis infection, which primarily affects adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women.

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Image: The products in the recall feature sell-by dates ranging from ‘9/13/2013′ through ’11/4/2013’. Photo courtesy of FSIS.