Listeria Meat Recall: What Consumers Need to Know About Listeria Monocytogenes Risks
A new Listeria meat recall in the United States is prompting consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers for potentially contaminated ready-to-eat meat products. More than 3,200 pounds of pastrami and corned beef have been recalled because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause a serious foodborne illness known as listeriosis.
The recall was initiated by City Food, Inc., a Chicago-based company, after a routine inspection identified a potential Listeria contamination concern. The affected products were produced on July 16, 2026, and were initially distributed in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan before being shipped more broadly across the United States. No illnesses have been reported in connection with these products at the time of the recall.
For consumers, the most important step is to determine whether recalled meat is in the home or in a food-service refrigerator. Because Listeria can survive and grow at refrigerator temperatures, simply keeping recalled meat cold does not make it safe.
What Happened in the Latest Listeria Meat Recall?
The recall involves approximately 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat meat products produced by City Food, Inc. The products include cooked pastrami and corned beef that may have been distributed to retailers, food-service businesses and other customers.
The affected products were produced on July 16 and had a stated shelf life of approximately 60 days. Although the products were initially distributed in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan, reports indicate that they were subsequently shipped nationwide.
That nationwide distribution is important because consumers should not assume that the recall only affects people living in the three states where the products were initially distributed.
At the time of the recall, no confirmed illnesses had been linked to the products. Nevertheless, USDA food-safety officials are concerned that some of the recalled meat may still be stored in refrigerators or freezers belonging to consumers or food-service establishments.
Which Meat Products Are Included?
The recalled products include several ready-to-eat meat items sold under different brand names.
According to the available recall information, consumers and businesses should look for the following products:
- Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami — 10-pound cardboard boxes containing 2- to 5-pound pieces of meat. Recall code 19410.
- Bea's Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket — 20- to 30-pound cardboard boxes containing two to three pieces of meat. Recall code 18919.
- Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket — 20- to 30-pound cardboard boxes containing two to three pieces of meat. Recall code 19751.
Because some of these products were sold in larger food-service packages, consumers may encounter the recalled meat in restaurants, delis or other prepared-food operations rather than in a typical household package.
Anyone who has purchased meat from a deli, restaurant supplier or specialty food store should pay particular attention to recall information if the product matches one of the listed names and codes.
Why Is Listeria Monocytogenes Dangerous?
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can contaminate food and cause listeriosis. While Listeria infection is relatively uncommon, it can become extremely serious when the bacteria spread beyond the intestines into the bloodstream or nervous system.
The CDC identifies pregnant women, newborns, adults age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems as the groups at greatest risk of serious illness.
One reason Listeria is particularly challenging from a food-safety perspective is that the bacteria can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperatures. That means contaminated food can remain a potential source of infection even when it has been stored properly in a refrigerator.
For this reason, consumers should never assume that a recalled ready-to-eat meat product becomes safe simply because it has been refrigerated for a short period.
What Are the Symptoms of Listeria Infection?
Listeriosis can produce different symptoms depending on the person and whether the infection remains in the digestive system or becomes invasive.
For some people, symptoms may be relatively mild and include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
More serious invasive listeriosis can produce symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. According to the CDC, invasive illness symptoms usually begin within about two weeks after eating contaminated food, although the timing can vary considerably and symptoms may appear much later.
This relatively long potential incubation period is one reason consumers should take a recall seriously even if they ate the product days or weeks earlier and initially felt healthy.
Why Pregnant Women Need to Be Especially Careful
Pregnancy is one of the most important risk factors for severe consequences from Listeria.
A pregnant person may experience only mild symptoms such as fever, fatigue or muscle aches. However, the infection can pass from the mother to the fetus and cause extremely serious complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a life-threatening infection in the newborn.
This is why pregnant consumers should be particularly careful about recalled ready-to-eat meats and other foods associated with Listeria contamination.
If someone who is pregnant believes they consumed recalled food and subsequently develops symptoms consistent with listeriosis, they should contact their healthcare provider and explain the possible exposure.
The CDC recommends that people who may have eaten recalled food and then develop fever or other symptoms of listeriosis speak with a healthcare professional.
Older Adults and Immunocompromised People Face Higher Risks
Adults aged 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems are also at substantially greater risk of invasive Listeria infection.
According to the CDC, Listeria is more likely to spread beyond the digestive system in these groups, potentially resulting in hospitalization or death. The CDC estimates that more than half of U.S. Listeria infections occur among people aged 65 and older.
People with weakened immune systems may include individuals whose immune defenses are affected by certain medical conditions or treatments.
For these groups, food-safety precautions are particularly important. A recalled meat product should not be eaten even if it looks, smells or tastes normal.
Can You Tell If Meat Contains Listeria?
No.
Consumers cannot reliably determine whether meat contains Listeria monocytogenes by looking at it, smelling it or tasting it.
Contaminated food may appear completely normal. This is why official recalls are based on laboratory testing, inspections, traceback investigations and other food-safety procedures rather than on whether the food appears spoiled.
If a product is specifically included in an official recall, consumers should follow the recall instructions rather than trying to determine whether their individual package appears safe.
What Should Consumers Do With Recalled Meat?
If you find recalled meat in your refrigerator or freezer, do not eat it.
The safest options are to follow the recall instructions for returning the product or dispose of it safely. USDA guidance for recalled ready-to-eat meat products generally tells consumers not to consume the affected food and to throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.
Do not serve the recalled meat to family members, guests or customers.
Restaurants, delis, grocery stores and other food-service businesses should also immediately check their inventories and ensure that recalled products are not being sold or served.
Businesses that may have handled the affected meat should follow appropriate cleaning and sanitation procedures to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination.
Don't Forget to Clean the Refrigerator
Throwing away recalled meat is only part of the process.
If the product has been stored in a refrigerator or freezer, juices from the meat may have contacted shelves, containers or other food packages. Listeria can survive in refrigerated environments and can spread to other foods and surfaces.
The CDC advises consumers dealing with recalled foods to clean refrigerators, containers and surfaces that may have touched the contaminated products.
Use hot, soapy water to clean food-contact surfaces and follow appropriate sanitizing procedures. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling recalled products or cleaning areas where they were stored.
It is also a good idea to inspect nearby foods for leakage or cross-contamination and discard any food that may have been directly contaminated by recalled meat.
Can Cooking Kill Listeria?
Heat can destroy Listeria bacteria when food is properly cooked or reheated, and USDA guidance recommends reheating certain ready-to-eat deli meats for higher-risk consumers until steaming hot or to an internal temperature of 165°F.
However, consumers should not use cooking as a reason to keep a product that has been recalled.
If a manufacturer or government agency has identified a specific meat product as potentially contaminated, the safest approach is to remove it from the food supply rather than attempting to make the recalled product safe through additional cooking.
A recall means the product should no longer be consumed.
Why Ready-to-Eat Meat Can Be a Listeria Concern
Ready-to-eat meats deserve particular attention because they may be consumed without another cooking step that could reduce bacterial contamination.
Products such as deli meats, cooked beef, pastrami, corned beef, luncheon meats and other refrigerated ready-to-eat foods can become contaminated during processing or handling.
Listeria also has the ability to survive under refrigeration, which makes strict sanitation and temperature-control practices important throughout processing, storage and distribution.
USDA guidance recommends good hand hygiene, regular refrigerator cleaning and preventing cross-contamination when handling ready-to-eat foods.
What If You Already Ate the Recalled Meat?
Eating a recalled product does not automatically mean you will develop listeriosis.
The CDC notes that exposure to Listeria is more common than serious illness, and most people who consume contaminated food do not necessarily develop invasive disease.
However, consumers should monitor their health, particularly if they belong to a higher-risk group.
Anyone who develops symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, unusual fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion or balance problems after eating potentially contaminated food should contact a healthcare provider.
It is important to tell the healthcare provider about the possible food exposure because this information can help with medical evaluation.
Pregnant people should be especially cautious about fever or flu-like symptoms following possible Listeria exposure because symptoms during pregnancy may be mild even when the infection presents a serious risk to the pregnancy.
Is This Part of a Larger Listeria Problem?
The latest meat recall is separate from several other Listeria investigations and recalls that have occurred in the United States during 2026.
Federal health agencies have also investigated Listeria contamination involving other food categories, including soft cheeses and prepared foods. In June 2026, the FDA and CDC investigated a multistate Listeria outbreak linked to requeson, a soft cheese similar to ricotta.
That investigation demonstrates why consumers should pay attention to individual recall notices rather than assuming that every Listeria-related food recall is connected to one outbreak.
The current City Food meat recall is specifically associated with potentially contaminated ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef products. At the time of the recall information available, no illnesses had been reported in connection with those products.
What Consumers Should Watch For
Consumers should regularly check USDA FSIS recall announcements, particularly when purchasing ready-to-eat meats.
If a product has been recalled, check:
- Product name
- Brand name
- Recall number or code
- USDA inspection information
- Production or packaging date
- Package size
- Whether the product was sold directly to consumers or through food-service channels
For the current recall, the three key recall codes reported for the affected products are 19410, 18919 and 19751.
Consumers who purchased specialty meat or bulk packages should also remember that the product may not have the same labeling format as a normal supermarket package.
Why Recalls Matter Even When No Illnesses Are Reported
A common misconception is that a food recall is only important if people have already become sick.
That is not the case.
Food recalls are designed to remove potentially dangerous products before additional illnesses occur. In the current Listeria meat recall, the absence of reported illnesses does not mean the products should be considered safe. The recall exists because of a potential contamination concern identified through food-safety procedures.
Taking action early can prevent illnesses, particularly among people who are most vulnerable to invasive listeriosis.
Final Takeaway
The latest Listeria meat recall involves approximately 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef products produced by City Food, Inc. on July 16, 2026. The affected products include Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami, Bea's Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket and Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket.
The products were initially distributed in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan and were later shipped more broadly. No illnesses had been reported in connection with the recall at the time of the available notice, but some products may still be in consumer refrigerators, freezers or food-service facilities.
The health concern is Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause listeriosis. The infection is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. Serious illness can involve fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.
If you have any of the recalled meat, do not eat it. Throw it away or return it according to the recall instructions, then clean and sanitize surfaces that may have contacted the product.
Most importantly, consumers should rely on current USDA FSIS recall information rather than assuming that meat is safe because it looks or smells normal. With Listeria, appearance is not a reliable safety test, and taking a few minutes to check a refrigerator or freezer could help prevent a potentially serious foodborne illness.
