A public health alert has been issued for a brand of deli meat sold in the United States due to potential listeria contamination. On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) raised concerns about Daisy Brand headcheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium capable of causing severe foodborne illness. No recall was issued because the products are no longer available for purchase.
Details of the Affected Product
Headcheese is a ready-to-eat pork deli meat typically made from meat and seasonings cooked together and formed into a loaf or jelly-style product, according to the FSIS announcement. The health alert followed the collection of an unopened headcheese sample that tested positive for listeria. The testing was part of an ongoing investigation into a listeria outbreak in Illinois, where at least three people have fallen ill. “Further testing is ongoing to determine if the product samples are related to the specific outbreak strain,” the agency stated.
The meat products were produced on January 20, 2026, and sold in various weight packages or sliced at retail delis. They can be identified as “DAISY BRAND Meat Products HEADCHEESE” with a Use By date of March 26, 2026, or with a red sticker indicating “HOT” and the same Use By date. Affected items bear the establishment number “EST. 21406” and were distributed to retail deli locations in Illinois and Indiana.
Consumer Guidance
The FSIS urges shoppers to dispose of the meat products immediately or return them to the place of purchase. Consumers should also thoroughly clean their refrigerators to prevent cross-contamination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria are bacteria that can contaminate many foods and cause foodborne illnesses. Symptoms can vary, with invasive and intestinal illness possible. Short-term symptoms in healthy individuals may include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, and abdominal pain. Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, killing approximately 172 people annually, as noted by the CDC.
Other Recent Food Safety Concerns
The headcheese alert follows another health risk announcement. On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Spring & Mulberry recalled its entire range of date-sweetened chocolate bars due to a possible salmonella risk. This move expanded an initial recall from January of the brand’s Mint Leaf Date Sweetened Chocolate Bar. “The investigation has now identified a single lot of date ingredient used in the production of the company’s chocolate as the most likely source of contamination,” the agency said in a news release.
