72,000 pounds of Yu Shang Food meat and poultry recalled after listeria outbreak

A baby was killed and at least 10 others sickened in an outbreak of listeria food poisoning linked to meat and ready-to-eat chicken products, health officials announced Friday.

Yu Shang Food, Inc., of South Carolina, recalled more than 72,000 pounds of meat and poultry products related to the outbreak, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The massive recall expands on the nearly 4,600 pounds of food it recalled earlier this month.

The tainted foods – which include chicken feet, duck neck, beef and pork neck – were shipped to retailers nationwide and were available for purchase online.

The baby who died was a twin whose sibling also died, but whose death could not be linked to listeria. Their pregnant mother was also sick but recovered, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

“Listeria was found in a sample from the mother and one of the twin babies, but could not be found in a sample from the other baby,” the CDC said Friday.

“Because of this, only the mother and a twin have been included as confirmed cases in this outbreak.”

Another baby who recovered from listeria was among the 10 confirmed cases, nine of whom were hospitalized.

The outbreak was linked to New York, New Jersey and Illinois, although most of the cases were in California, including all who died.

All 11 cases were identified as having Asian heritage, according to the CDC.

The problem was first discovered in October after routine tests found listeria in food and in the production environment, leading to the first round of recalls on November 9.

Ingestion of Listeria can cause mild symptoms, including fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. More serious ailments can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures.

The bacteria have also involved Boar’s Head products — 10 people were killed and 61 sickened in 19 states after eating contaminated products this summer.