Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro Southwest Chopped Salad Kit, Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit recall: Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Recall published 2+ years ago

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultryMarketside, Ready Pac Bistro Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultry (photo 2)Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultry (photo 3)Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultry (photo 4)
4 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

This is a Listeria recall, so the usual kitchen tests do not apply — the bacteria grow in a cold fridge and leave no smell, no cloudiness and no off taste.

What the notice says: Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

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

Published
February 8, 2024
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro
Product type
Meat & poultry
Units affected
15,751 cases
Distribution
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wyoming
Sold at
Walmart, Costco
UPC codes
681131305129, 681131305440, 077745256108, 077745256139

Products covered by this recall

Southwest Chopped Salad Kit, Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit, Fresh Mex Chopped Kit, Queso Crunch Salad Kit

What the company announced

IRWINDALE, Calif., February 8, 2024 -- With the safety of its consumers being a top priority Ready Pac Foods, Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited number of cases of four salad kits as a result of the expanded recall by Rizo-López Foods of certain cheese products that may have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes .

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Upon being notified of the expanded recall on February 7, 2024, Ready Pac conducted an investigation and determined that the following products may be impacted:

  • Product: 10.3 oz “Marketside Southwest Chopped Kit” distributed by Walmart · UPC: 681131305129 · Use by date: 12/27/2023 - 1/14/2024 · States shipped: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, MA, MD, ME, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PA, RI, SD, TX, VT, WY
  • Product: 9.8 oz “Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit” distributed by Walmart · UPC: 681131305440 · Use by date: 02/03//2024 - 2/19/2024 · States shipped: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, MA, MD, ME, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NY, PA, RI, SD, TX, VT, WY
  • Product: 10.5 oz “Ready Pac Bistro Fresh Mex Chopped Kit” distributed by Winco · UPC: 077745256108 · Use by date: 1/18/2024 - 2/18/2024 · States shipped: AZ, CA
  • Product: 24 oz “Ready Pac Bistro Queso Crunch Salad Kit” distributed by Costco · UPC: 077745256139 · Use by date: 1/13/2024 - 2/18/2024 · States shipped: CA, NV, HI

The kits are sold in bags and the UPC and best by dates may be found on the front or the back of the package depending on which kit was purchased.

A total of 15,751 cases were manufactured between December 2023 through February 2024 by Ready Pac Foods and distributed to the retailers listed above.

Ready Pac has ceased all sale and distribution of the impacted products and any products in inventory will be removed and destroyed per FDA guidelines. Ready Pac is urging customers who purchased any of the potentially impacted products to immediately discard the entirety of the kit, including the individual packets of cheese, or return it to the retailer where it was purchased, for a full refund.

No other Ready Pac Foods products sold under the Ready Pac Bistro brand are affected.

To date, the company has not received any reports of illnesses at this time related to these recalled salad kits.

Consumers with questions may contact the Ready Pac Foods Consumer Affairs at +1.800.800.7822 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST or by email at [email protected]

Media inquiries only: [email protected]

FDA Outbreak Investigation

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 13 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

UPC / barcode

Read the twelve digits under the barcode on the package.

  • 681131305129
  • 681131305440
  • 077745256108
  • 077745256139

Best-by / use-by date

Printed beside the lot code, not on the price sticker.

  • 12/27/2023 - 1/14/2024
  • 02/03
  • 2024 - 2/19/2024
  • 1/18/2024 - 2/18/2024
  • 1/13/2024 - 2/18/2024

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 10.3 oz
  • 9.8 oz
  • 10.5 oz
  • 24 oz

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro — This is a Listeria recall, so the usual kitchen tests do not apply — the bacteria grow in a cold fridge and leave no smell, no cloudiness and no off taste.

  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. Throw it out in a sealed bag, or return it to the store. Either is accepted; what matters is that nobody else eats it.
  3. 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.
  4. If anyone in the household is pregnant, over 65 or immunocompromised, call a clinician for advice even if nobody feels ill. That conversation is quick and it is the whole point of a Listeria recall.

Getting a refund without the pack

The commonest reason people skip the refund is that they have already thrown the item away. That rarely matters.

  • A photo of the label and lot code is accepted by most grocers, and so is a card statement line showing the purchase.
  • Store credit is often offered first. You can ask for the original payment method instead, and it is normally granted.
  • No photo either? Ask anyway. Grocery chains settle recall refunds at the service desk because disputing them costs more than paying them.
  • For a multi-pack or a case, ask for the full purchase price rather than a per-unit figure — the recall covers what you paid.

Remedy named in the notice: Ready Pac is urging customers who purchased any of the potentially impacted products to immediately discard the entirety of the kit, including the individual packets of cheese, or return it to the retailer where it was purchased, for a full refund.

Company contact: Ready Pac Foods, Inc. — Consumers: Ready Pac Foods Consumer Affairs, +1.800.800.7822, [email protected] — Media: [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 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 FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Marketside, Ready Pac Bistro meat & poultry recalled?

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: UPC 681131305129, 681131305440, 077745256108; best-by date 12/27/2023 - 1/14/2024 or 02/03. 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?

The notice says: Ready Pac is urging customers who purchased any of the potentially impacted products to immediately discard the entirety of the kit, including the individual packets of cheese, or return it to the retailer where it was purchased, for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey and others.

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