Frozen Shakes Sold To Care Facilities Recalled After Listeria Outbreak, Death

(RTTNews) - Frozen supplemental shakes under Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial brands sold to hospitals and long-term care facilities have been recalled following a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, including deaths.

Sysco Corp., Lyons Magnus LLC, and their third-party manufacturer Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. have called back 4 oz. Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes with various lot codes and best by dates.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that 38 illnesses have been reported from 21 states associated with the strain of Listeria monocytogenes that may have contaminated these products, including 11 deaths.

Sysco Imperial and Lyons ReadyCare supplemental shakes, manufactured by Prairie Farms at the Fort Wayne facility and supplied to Lyons Magnus for distribution, were identified as being linked to the outbreak.

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are continuing to investigate the Listeria illnesses.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Meanwhile, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The FDA said it was notified on November 25, 2024 about an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in the United States, with many ill people residing in long-term care facilities or LTCF prior to illness onset. As per FDA's traceback investigation, each of the LTCF who supplied invoice information for review from 2024 to present received a frozen supplemental shake of either Lyons ReadyCare or Sysco Imperial brand.

According to CDC, the outbreak includes cases dating back to 2018, with 20 cases across 2024 and 2025, and is currently ongoing. As of February 21, 2025, a total of 38 people have been infected with the outbreak strain in 21 states, of which 37 people have been hospitalized and eleven deaths have been reported.

In a statement, Fresno, California-based Lyons Magnus said the recall was initiated in response to a recall of the products by their third-party manufacturer, Prairie Farms Dairy from the Prairie Farms facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The recall involves Lyons ReadyCare Frozen shakes in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry flavours, as well as Vanilla Shake NSA, Strawberry Shake NSA, Chocolate Shake Plus, Strawberry Shake Plus, Vanilla Shake Plus, Strawberry Banana Shake NSA, and Chocolate Shake NSA.

Further, the impacted Sysco Imperial branded shakes come under Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry flavours, as well as Vanilla Shake NSA, Strawberry Shake NSA, Strawberry Banana Shake NSA, and Chocolate Shake NSA. All the impacetd products come with various lot codes and best by dates.

The recalled products were distributed primarily to long-term care facilities throughout the United States and packed in 4 oz. cartons under the Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial brand names. They were not available for retail sale.

Both Sysco and Lyons Magnus have halted the purchase of all impacted products, notified affected customers, and also ensured that they were removed from distribution nationally.

The FDA has urged distributors and foodservice customers, including hospitals and long-term care facilities who purchased or received the impacted supplemental shakes, not to sell or serve these products.

They are asked to carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that they touched and do the required instructions to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

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