The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a health alert over Aliya's Foods' frozen butter chicken and rice products that were imported from Canada. The agency noted that the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
About 4,865 pounds of frozen butter chicken and rice products imported from Canada. The recall is being conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canadian Establishment 720, Aliya's Foods.
Products imported to the US include 12.5 oz boxes of Trader Joe's Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice with product code 2012-10-31 and lot code 30512. The product being recalled is considered ready-to-eat (RTE).
While 19 cartons of product are on hold at the distribution center, 240 cartons have been distributed to Trader Joe's retail stores. Trader Joe's has contacted these stores directly and instructed them to pull the recalled product off the shelf.
CFIA oversees the recall in Canada and FSIS is overseeing the effectiveness in the United States. FSIS said that it will verify that those companies who have received product from the Canadian-initiated recall have been notified and have removed product from commerce, and will take appropriate action if prohibited activity is found.
