Poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride has begun the largest US meat recall in history after the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned of possible contamination by the bacteria listeria.
Pilgrim's Pride - the second-biggest poultry producer in the United States - said in a statement it was recalling 27.4 million pounds (12.4 million kilogrammes) of fresh and frozen ready-to-eat turkey and chicken products.
USDA spokeswoman Ms Alisa Harrison said no illnesses have been linked to meat produced by the Pittsburgh, Texas-based company, under the Wampler brand.
The recall came as federal officials investigated a listeria outbreak that has caused at least 23 deaths and 120 illnesses in eight Northeastern states. But Ms Harrison said no definitive link had been made between the outbreak and the recalled products.
USDA said the company had suspended operations at the Pennsylvania plant which produced the recalled products. A sample taken at the plant tested positive for listeria on October 2nd, the department said.
The recalled turkey and chicken products were produced between May 1st and October 11th and distributed to retail stores, restaurants and institutions nationwide.
Pilgrim's Pride agreed to recall 27.4 million pounds, after first pulling 295,000 pounds from the market last week.
About 2,500 cases of listeriosis occur each year in the United States. Listeria can be destroyed by cooking meat to a temperature of at least 71 degrees Celsius.