The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh salad products with chicken and ham that contain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated lettuce that has been recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) contamination.

FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that this product should not be consumed.

The fresh salads with chicken and ham were produced on various dates from March 10, 2023, through March 24, 2023. The following products are subject to the public health alert:

• 5.5-ounce clear plastic packages containing “Fruit Ridge Farms White Chicken Caesar Salad” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23
• 4.6-oubce clear plastic packages containing “Fruit Ridge Farms Chef Salad with Ham” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23
• 5.5-ounce clear plastic packages containing “BELL’S BISTRO White Chicken Caesar Salad” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23
• 4.6-ounce clear plastic packages containing “BELL’S BISTRO Chef Salad with Ham” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23

The products bear establishment number “EST. 17050” or “P-17050”  inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. 

The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that they used FDA-recalled lettuce to produce the fresh salad with chicken and ham products.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

FSIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Media and consumers with questions regarding the public health alert can contact Alicia Richards, food safety & quality manager, at 616-399-7084 ext. 416 or arichards@russrestaurants.com.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.

Source: USDA's FSIS