Target Market Pantry, Archer Farms Salads Recalled Due to Listeria Risk

Due to concerns about listeria contamination, Target has recalled certain Market Pantry and Archer Farms salad products, including potato salads, chicken salads, cole slaws, egg salads, macaroni salads, tuna salads, pasta salads, four bean salads and taco dips.

On August 7, the Rhode Island Department of Health issued a warning to Target customers, indicating that they should not eat certain recalled salads from the Market Pantry and Archer Farms lines, after determining that they may be contaminated with Listeria moncytogenes. However, there have been no reports of food poisoning associated with the products.

All of the salads are believed to contain recalled onions from Gills Onion LLC, which were recalled last month after sampling tests discovered listeria contamination. The Gill’s onion recall has affected numerous products nationwide, and the company’s Oxnard processing facility has been shut down during an ongoing investigation by the FDA and the company.

The Target ready-to-eat salads affected by the recall include Archer Farms Four Bean Salad, and American Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, Cole Slaw, Egg Salad, Macaroni Salad, Mustard Potato Salad, Reduced Fat Mustard Potato Salad, Tuna Salad and Italian Pasta Salad sold under the Market Pantry label. The recall also affects Layered Taco Dip sold at Target stores as well. A full listing of the products, their sizes and item numbers are available in the FDA press release.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious, sometimes fatal, infections in young children, the elderly or people with weakened immune systems.

Less serious symptoms in healthy people can include high fever, severe headaches, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria can also cause miscarriage and still births in pregnant women. Approximately 1,600 cases of Listeria are reported annually in the U.S.