Costco And Trader Joe's Are Recalling Products Over A Listeria Outbreak

Both Costco and Trader Joe's have pulled certain products from store shelves in response to a listeria outbreak involving items produced by Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. Via the Costco website, a listing of product recalls included four related items: Southwest Chicken Wrap, Chicken Street Taco Kit, Don Pancho Crema Trio Pack, and Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema. And, as stated in an announcement issued by Trader Joe's, recalled products include Elote Chopped Salad Kits, Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Southwest Salads, and Cilantro Salad Dressing. Other retailers have also been affected by the issue, including Albertsons, which recalled a selection of prepared meals and taco kits.

This latest round of recalls stems from a problem that has been in the making for years, according to the FDA. Listeria cases associated with Rizo Lopez products first occurred in 2014, with issues cropping up again in 2017 and 2021. Despite investigations by the FDA and the CDC, a lack of evidence prevented the agencies from pinpointing specific brands until recently. Once positive test samples were acquired, which showed that certain items were harboring Listeria monocytogenes, Rizo Lopez enacted a voluntary recall of many of its products, and retailers like Costco and Trader Joe's quickly followed suit.

Costco asks members to look for information on product packaging to determine whether items are part of the recall. The Southwest Chicken Wrap was sold at the Costco deli from October 27, 2023, to February 6, 2024, and featured item #29433, while the Chicken Street Taco Kit was sold at the deli from January 25 to February 6, 2024, and featured item #11545. The Don Pancho Crema Trio Pack features item #1796365 and a best-by date of March 11 through March 26, 2024, while the Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema features item #1341779 and a best-by date range of March 21 to April 4, 2024.

Similarly, Trader Joe's encourages customers to assess the stock keeping units, aka sku numbers on the affected products: Elote Chopped Salad Kit (sku 74768), Chicken Enchiladas Verde (sku 58292), Southwest Salad (sku 56077), and Cilantro Salad Dressing (sku 36420). Both retailers urge shoppers to immediately discard the products for their safety. You can also return the products to their respective stores to inquire about a refund.

Sadly, this outbreak has proven rather serious, with the FDA reporting 23 hospitalizations and 2 deaths as a result. Hopefully, these recalls will be effective in preventing further illness among consumers.