A Chicago meat processor has recalled more than 3,200 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef because the products may carry Listeria risk.
Quick Take
- City Foods, Inc. recalled approximately 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef.
- The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said the products may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.
- Inspectors found the problem during routine inspection activities, not after a reported illness.
- The recall covers products shipped to food service locations in Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, then sent nationwide.
What FSIS Announced
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall on August 8 after City Foods, Inc. found a possible Listeria problem tied to its ready-to-eat meat.
The company is based in Chicago, and the recalled items include pastrami and corned beef sold under Midamar, Bea’s Best, and Kirsch labels.
FSIS said the products were made on July 16 and had a 60-day shelf life. That detail matters because these meats can sit in refrigerators or freezers long enough for a risky package to stay in a home or institution well after purchase. FSIS also said no confirmed illnesses had been reported from the products at the time of the notice.
Why This Recall Matters
Listeria monocytogenes is not the kind of food threat that waits politely for a headline. It is especially serious in ready-to-eat meats because people often eat them without cooking them again, which removes the usual safety step. That is why recalls like this are handled as precautionary public health actions, even before anyone gets sick.
The notice said the problem turned up during routine inspection work. That is the unglamorous part of food safety, but it is often the part that catches trouble before it spreads.
In this case, the recall was not driven by a hospital cluster or a consumer complaint. It was driven by a government inspection system that is meant to spot danger early.
What Shoppers and Institutions Should Check
FSIS said the recalled meat went to food service locations in Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, and then was distributed nationwide. The agency urged consumers and institutions not to eat or serve the products.
The affected packages include 10-pound cardboard boxes of Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami, along with boxed Bea’s Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket and Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket.
🚨 RECALL: City Foods is recalling 3,215 lbs. of ready-to-eat pastrami & corned beef over possible Listeria contamination.
❌ Don’t eat, serve or sell. Discard or return.📞 #Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222
🔗 https://t.co/mE0Pnly7Ep#PoisonPrevention #Recall #FoodSafety #Listeria pic.twitter.com/vcMMYEXWxo— FL Poison Control (@FloridaPoison) August 11, 2026
For readers, the practical lesson is simple: do not assume deli meat is safe just because it looks normal or smells fine. Listeria can be dangerous even when food shows no obvious sign of spoilage, and the official notice was clear that the recalled products may already be sitting in refrigerators and freezers. If a package matches the recall details, it should be thrown out or returned, not tested at home.
Sources:
foxbusiness.com, thefederalnewswire.com
