Infant dies and 10 others sick in latest listeria outbreak tied to ready-to-eat meat

An outbreak of listeria tied to ready-to-eat-meat from Yu Shang Food has killed an infant from California and sickened at least 10 others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The cases appeared in California, Illinois, New Jersey and New York between July 31 and Oct. 24, the agency said. Nine out of the 11 infected individuals were hospitalized.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely higher than the number reported. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria,” the CDC said.

In California, two infant twins and their mother — who was also pregnant — fell ill. Both twins later died but only one fatality was included in the CDC’s case count because the bacteria was not detected in the other twin.

Interviews with infected individuals are ongoing. So far, seven reported shopping in-person or online at markets where Yu Shang Food products are sold and two people confirmed eating the brand’s chicken products. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service also found listeria in a Yu Shang Food product during routine tests last month.

On Thursday, Yu Shang Food, based in Spartanburg, S.C., recalled more than 72,000 pounds of its meat and poultry products as a result. The recall included some its pork belly, duck, beef shank, chicken feet, and chicken gizzards that had “used by” dates ranging from Aug. 21-27, 2025. A full list can be found here.

The recall was an expansion of an initial recall from Nov. 9, which involved about 4,500 pounds of products due to listeria concerns.

Listeria bacteria can cause a serious infection. It can be especially dangerous for people who are pregnant, over 65, or have weakened immune systems. Infection symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea, stiff neck, loss of balance and convulsions. Signs of an infection can show up in a few days to a month, according to Mayo Clinic.

The CDC advises recalled foods to be thrown away or returned to place of purchase, and to clean surfaces that may have touched the recalled products.

Last month, more than 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items, produced by BrucePac, were recalled over possible listeria contamination. Over the summer, 10 people died across 19 states following a listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meat. That outbreak was officially declared over on Thursday, according to the CDC.

While this year has seen several large recalls, the overall safety of the U.S. food supply has only improved over the years, with U.S. food agencies becoming more effective at detecting bacteria in food, Harvest Public Media reported.

“That’s why we’re able to recognize even relatively small outbreaks now due to the improvements on the disease surveillance side,” Abby Snyder, a professor of microbial food safety at Cornell University, told Harvest Public Media.

Snyder added, “We’re just in a period where several seem to have happened in a relatively short succession in the past few months.”