Slaw, kale salad with chicken sold at Trader Joe’s recalled

Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods, a Vallejo, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 33,610 pounds of Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat product that possibly has Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday.

The Trader Joe’s Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat product that’s affected by this recall was produced April 26 through May 1 and has “USE BY” labels on the plastic packaging containing dates May 2 through 7. The following products are subject to recall:

9.3-OZ. clear plastic container packages with the label “TRADER JOE’S Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat; SUNFLOWER SEEDS, CRANBERRIES AND A SWEET & SPICY VINAIGRETTE.”

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-17156” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to Trader Joe’s distributors in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah.

The problem was discovered Tuesday, when the company’s vendor of sunflower seeds notified the company the product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. All affected product has been removed from the market.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. 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.

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.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Mike Ghiringhelli, Jr., General Manager, (707) 561-7670, extension 105.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.