Recall of meat and chicken products supplied to Illinois schools – NBC Chicago

A nationwide listeria recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry that is impacting popular products and grocery stores across the country has now expanded to include foods served in schools, including some in Illinois, according to an update from the Food Service Inspection Service on Thursday.

“FSIS is working diligently to identify all recalled products that were distributed to consumers, including those purchased by schools,” the update said. The updated version added that the products are not part of the USDA's National School Lunch and Breakfast Program and noted that “schools also purchase food directly from other suppliers.”

The update comes as the list of recalled products has continued to grow in recent days, rising from around 75 to over 300 items with a total value of almost £12 million. Items range from deli sandwiches at Trader Joe's to frozen meals at Costco to deli salads at Walmart, Aldi, Jewel-Osco and more.

According to FSIS, the recall, originally announced on October 9, was initiated after U.S. Department of Agriculture officials discovered listeria in poultry samples during routine testing.

There are no confirmed reports of illness related to the recall, officials said.

Which schools are affected?

FSIS reported that the food was delivered to more than 100 schools in at least 17 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Two schools were listed in Illinois. One of them was in the Chicago area

• Fox Valley Family YMCA, 3875 Eldamain Rd., Plano
• Kiddie Scholars, 1031 Kostner Ave, Matteson

Kiddie Scholars had no comment to NBC Chicago.

A full list of schools the products were shipped to can be found here.

Current list of recalled brands and labels

Products shipped to “restaurants and food service providers nationwide” have a best-before date of June 19, 2025 to October 8, 2025, FSIS said. Officials said they were concerned the food may still be available for consumption or being stored in refrigerators or freezers. The products should be thrown away, they added.

The recall, originally announced by FSIS on October 9, originally affected approximately 75 ready-to-eat meat and chicken products manufactured at the BrucePac facility in Oklahoma. Officials' latest update includes over 300 popular ready-to-eat items found in the deli and frozen food sections of major grocery stores like Target, Walmart and more.

Affected brands and labels include prepackaged fresh meals sold under the FreshExpress, Maketside, Little Salad Bar, ReadyMeals, Amazon Kitchen, Taylor Farms, Giant Eagle, HEB, Home Chef, RaceTrac, Raley's, Red's, Udi's, Good & Gather labels be sold. Signature Select, Dole and more.

It also includes at least 12 Trader Joe's products, such as Green Goddess Salad, Wine Country White Chicken Salad, Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Curry White Chicken Deli Salad and more.

A number of frozen meals from well-known brands such as Jenny Craig, Atkins, Boston Market, Michelina's, Rao's and more have also been recalled.

A complete list of updated product items can be found here.

Listeria symptoms

The recall comes as a tenth death was recently reported in a massive listeria deli meat recall in Boars Head that sickened at least 59 people in 19 states and closed a processing plant in Boars Head, Virginia.

Listeria is an infection caused by bacteria. When listeria infects the intestines, it causes gastrointestinal symptoms similar to other food-borne illnesses, such as diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Invasive listeria is particularly worrisome for pregnant people, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, TODAY.com reported. In pregnant women, invasive listeria can cause miscarriages, premature births, and stillbirths. The disease can also cause a life-threatening infection in newborns.

Signs of an invasive listeria infection in pregnant women include fever and flu-like symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches, according to the CDC.

Other people might also experience:

• Headache
• Stiff neck
• confusion
• Loss of balance
• Seizures