The Recall Desk
Agency classPublic Health AlertOur severity:HighUSDA FSIS·PHA-05092026-01·Announced 2026-05-09

DAISY BRAND Headcheese Deli Meat May Contain Listeria

USDA FSIS issued a public health alert for DAISY BRAND headcheese products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The fully cooked deli meat products with a use-by date of March 26, 2026 were distributed to retail delis in Illinois and Indiana.

The agency’s classification

USDA FSIS: Public Health Alert

Public Health Alert is a warning FSIS issues when there is a food-safety concern but a recall is not requested, typically because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves Listeria monocytogenes, a high-risk pathogen. Although three illnesses have been reported in an associated outbreak, the source text does not explicitly link those illnesses to consumption of these specific recalled products. This is a high-risk contamination alert without confirmed product-related illness, which meets the rubric criterion for a score of 3.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on May 9, 2026 for headcheese products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The affected products are DAISY BRAND headcheese in various weight packages, with a "USE BY" date of March 26, 2026, bearing establishment number EST. 21406. These products were distributed to retail deli locations in Illinois and Indiana. Some packages display a red sticker indicating "HOT."

The products were fully cooked and produced on January 20, 2026. The contamination was discovered during an ongoing outbreak investigation. FSIS collected an unopened headcheese sample that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Whole genome sequencing results showed that samples produced at Crawford Sausage Co. tested positive for the outbreak strain. An outbreak in Illinois includes three sick people in the state.

Listeriosis, caused by consuming food contaminated with Listeria, is a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or gastrointestinal symptoms. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. Serious and sometimes fatal infections can occur in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.

Consumers who have purchased these products should not consume them and should throw the products away or return them to the place of purchase. Consumers should thoroughly clean their refrigerators to prevent cross-contamination. Persons in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and inform their health care provider about the exposure.

The recalled product

Product
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Headcheese Deli Meat Products That May Be Contaminated With Listeria
Brand
Crawford Sausage Co., Inc.
Manufacturer
Crawford Sausage Co., Inc.
Category
Food — Deli / Ready-to-Eat
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed in 2 states:

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