Public Health Alert USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Crawford Sausage Co., Inc. Public Health Alert for Headcheese Deli Meat products recall: Product Contamination

Recall published 6 months ago

Product Contamination

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

What the notice says: Product Contamination

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Recall number
PHA-05092026-01
Published
May 9, 2026
Risk level
Public Health Alert
Status
Closed
Issued by
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Brand
Crawford Sausage Co., Inc.
Product type
Meat & poultry
Distribution
Illinois, Indiana
Made in
United States
Lot / code info
Establishment: Crawford Sausage Co., Inc.

Products covered by this recall

Various weight packages packed or sliced in retail delis, containing “DAISY BRAND Meat Products HEADCHEESE,” with a “USE BY” date of “MAR 26 2026.” Various weight packages packed or sliced in retail delis, containing “DAISY BRAND Meat Products HEADCHEESE,” with a red sticker indicating “HOT” and a “USE BY” date of “MAR 26 2026.”

Check your product

The notice names 2 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Establishment number

Inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label.

  • 21406

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • HEADCHEESE

Codes are lifted verbatim from the USDA FSIS — Recalls & public health alerts notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Crawford Sausage Co., Inc. — Listeria is the reason this product was pulled, and it is the one food hazard where "it is still in date and it smells fine" tells you nothing at all.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.
  3. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  4. Wash and then sanitise anything the food touched: the fridge shelf and drawer, chopping boards, knives, counters and your hands. Listeria colonises cold surfaces and can survive there after the food is gone.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Company contact: Company Contact Crawford Sausage Co., Inc. (773) 277 3095

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the USDA FSIS — Recalls & public health alerts record USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Crawford Sausage Co., Inc. meat & poultry recalled?

Product Contamination Product Contamination

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: establishment number 21406; model number HEADCHEESE. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Illinois, Indiana.

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