Daisy Brand Headcheese Linked to Listeria Outbreak in Illinois, Prompting Health Alert
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert regarding Daisy Brand headcheese products potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. These ready-to-eat pork deli meat products, produced on January 20, 2026, were distributed to retail delis in Illinois and Indiana. The alert follows an investigation into a localized outbreak of Listeria in Illinois, where three individuals have fallen ill. The FSIS, in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Public Health, discovered the contamination during an ongoing illness outbreak investigation. An unopened sample of the headcheese tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and further testing is underway to confirm if it matches the outbreak strain. Consumers are advised to discard or return the affected products, which bear the establishment number 'EST. 21406' and a 'USE BY' date of 'MAR 26 2026'. The FSIS is concerned that some products may still be in consumer refrigerators, posing a...