Conagra Recalls 2.6 Million Pounds of Meat Products Following Contamination Risk

Flags fly over Conagra Foods world headquarters in Omaha, Neb., on June 30, 2015. AP Photo/Nati Harnik

American consumer packaged goods company Conagra Brands is recalling millions of pounds of meat products after U.S. authorities deemed them a potential health risk due to likely contamination.

Chicago-based Conagra is recalling roughly 2,581,816 pounds of canned meat and poultry products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced in a recall alert on Jan. 31.The recall was initiated from a packaging defect found in products which can result in the items getting contaminated. No outward signs of contamination might be visible.

Recalled products were manufactured between Dec. 12, 2022, and Jan. 13, 2023. The items, which were shipped to retail stores across America, have “P4247” listed on the cans.

“The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS after observing spoiled and/or leaking cans from multiple production dates at the establishment’s warehouse,” the alert said.

“Subsequent investigation by the establishment determined that the cans subject to recall may have been damaged in a manner that is not readily apparent to consumers, which may allow foodborne pathogens to enter the cans.”

Dangers of Consuming Recalled Products

The recalled Conagra products are being sold nationwide under the brand names of Hargis, Great Value (Walmart), Kroger, Amour Star, Prairie Belt, Valrico, Grace, Hereford, and Goya. The products come in several varieties and flavors like jalapeno and barbecue.

Products include Amour Star Chicken Vienna Sausage-27.6 ounce, Great Value Vienna Sausage-4.6 ounce, Hargis House Potted Meat-3 ounce, Valrico Chicken Vienna Sausage-4.6 ounce, and so on. The full list of items can be found here (pdf), and the labels here (pdf). Many items feature expiry dates in December 2024.

No confirmed reports of adverse reactions resulting from consumption have been received. The alert asked people concerned about illness or injury caused by consuming the items to contact a healthcare provider.

Those who have already purchased the recalled products have been asked not to consume them and instead throw the products away or return them to the place of purchase.

“The biggest risk of cans that are bulging, leaking, or badly dented is that the food could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which you can’t see or taste. The toxin it produces can be deadly even in very small amounts,” said James E. Rogers, Ph.D., director of food safety research and testing at nonprofit organization Consumer Reports.

A spokesperson from Conagra told the organization that they have informed retailers about the recall and are moving items off the shelves.

Listeria Contamination Recall

The Conagra recall came as FSIS issued another recall a couple of days earlier for 52,914 pounds of ready-to-eat sausage products manufactured by Daniele International. The sausages were manufactured between May 23–Nov. 25, 2022.

An FSIS inspection had found that the surfaces in which these products came into contact had the presence of bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.

“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,” the Jan. 29th recall warned.

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

In addition, Listeria infection can end up spreading beyond the gastrointestinal tract. It can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women as well as result in premature delivery or life-threatening infection for the infant. No adverse reactions from consuming these products were reported at the time of recall.

On Dec. 13, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced recalling 200-gram packages of “Enoki Mushrooms” manufactured by Glendale-based Utopia Foods that were imported from China. These items were also judged to potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.