City Foods Inc., a Chicago-based meat processor, is recalling approximately 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef products over possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on August 8, 2026. The affected products were produced on July 16, 2026, and carry a 60-day shelf life, meaning some items may still be in consumer refrigerators.
The recall covers three product lines: Midamar Halal Sliced Pastrami Round, Bea’s Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket, and Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket. The products were initially shipped to foodservice locations in Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, from which they were distributed nationwide. FSIS discovered the contamination during routine inspection activities, and no confirmed illnesses have been reported to date.
Listeria monocytogenes poses particular risk to vulnerable populations. Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely to contract listeriosis than other healthy adults, according to the World Health Organization, and infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn. The disease also poses serious risk to older adults and people with weakened immune systems, causing fever, muscle aches, headache, and in severe cases, meningitis and sepsis.
The USDA notes that listeriosis is treated with antibiotics, and people in higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months of consuming contaminated food should seek medical care and inform their healthcare provider about the potential exposure. Consumers who have purchased these products should discard them or return them to the place of purchase.
The City Foods recall comes less than two years after a major listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats in 2024. That outbreak, traced to Boar’s Head’s processing plant in Jarratt, Virginia, resulted in 10 deaths and led to a recall of over 7 million pounds of deli products. The 2024 outbreak prompted Boar’s Head to close its Virginia facility and heightened scrutiny across the ready-to-eat meat industry. The CDC determined that outbreak was over by January 2025, as affected products exceeded their shelf life.
Consumers and institutions with questions about the City Foods recall can contact the company at 773-523-1566 or brian@beasbest.com. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is available at 888-674-6854 or through an online complaint system. For broader food safety information, the FDA maintains an updated list of recalls across all product categories, and consumers can also review recent deli and produce recalls to stay informed about food safety.
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service — Official recall announcement and product details for City Foods Inc. pastrami and corned beef recall (August 8–13, 2026)
- World Health Organization — Listeriosis fact sheet, including pregnancy risk factors and transmission data
- CDC — Investigation update on 2024 Boar’s Head listeria outbreak, including death toll and closure of Virginia facility
- Food Safety News — Coverage of City Foods recall and product distribution details
