Clearwater, FL — Suzanna’s Kitchen Chicken Recall: Listeria Contamination in Florida Raises Product Liability Concerns

Clearwater, FL (January 19th, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced a recall of ready-to-eat grilled chicken product distributed to Florida after laboratory testing detected listeria monocytogenes. 

Georgia-based Suzanna’s Kitchen is recalling approximately 13,720 pounds of fully cooked grilled chicken breasts that were shipped to distribution centers across seven states, including Florida. Although no illnesses have been confirmed yet, the contamination poses serious health risks, particularly for pregnant women, older adults, young children, and people with weakened immune systems.

At Light & Wyatt Law Group, we monitor food safety recalls affecting families throughout the Tampa Bay area and across Florida. When contaminated food products cause illness or death, manufacturers and distributors can be held accountable under Florida law. If you or someone in your family became sick after consuming recalled chicken products, contact us at 727-499-9900 for a free consultation with an experienced product recall lawyer.

What Chicken Products Are Affected?

The recall involves 10-pound cases containing two 5-pound bags of fully cooked grilled chicken breast fillets with rib meat, produced on October 14, 2025, with lot code 60104 P1382 287 5 J14 printed on both the case and package. The recalled products bear establishment number P-1382 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

These items were shipped to distribution centers for food service sales in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Ohio. For Clearwater residents and families throughout Pinellas County, the contaminated chicken could have reached local restaurants, cafeterias, and food service operations without consumers’ knowledge.

The contamination was discovered when a third-party laboratory sample tested positive for listeria monocytogenes in the ready-to-eat chicken product. While no illnesses have been reported so far, the potential for serious harm remains significant. Listeria infections can take days or even weeks to develop. As such, some Florida families may have been exposed without realizing it yet.

The FSIS is urging consumers and food service operators to check their freezers and refrigerators immediately. These products have an extended shelf life when frozen. Therefore, contaminated chicken could still be in commercial or home kitchens across Florida.

Why Listeria Contamination Is Extremely Dangerous

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria infections are the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the United States, with an estimated 1,250 people contracting the infection each year and 172 dying from it.

Unlike many bacteria that are killed by cold temperatures, listeria survives and even thrives in refrigeration. This makes ready-to-eat products particularly hazardous, since many consumers assume refrigerated or frozen food is safe to consume without additional cooking.

Pregnant women face the gravest danger from listeria exposure. The infection can cross the placental barrier, causing miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infections in newborns. Even when expectant mothers experience only mild symptoms themselves, such as fever or muscle aches, their unborn babies can suffer devastating consequences.

Older adults are also highly vulnerable. The immune system weakens with age, making it harder for seniors to fight off listeria infections. Young children and individuals with compromised immune systems from conditions like cancer, diabetes, HIV, or organ transplants face similarly elevated risks.

The symptoms of listeriosis extend beyond typical food poisoning. While some people experience fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea, severe cases can progress to meningitis, septicemia, confusion, loss of balance, convulsions, and stiff neck. These complications can require intensive medical treatment, extended hospitalization, and may result in permanent neurological damage or death.

What makes listeria particularly insidious is the delayed onset of symptoms. People can become ill anywhere from three days to two months after consuming contaminated food. This prolonged incubation period makes it difficult for families to connect their illness with a specific food product, and it means that some people who consumed the recalled Suzanna’s Kitchen chicken may not yet show signs of infection.

Florida Product Liability Law and Contaminated Food

Florida law provides legal remedies for consumers harmed by contaminated or defective food products. When manufacturers or distributors release unsafe products into the marketplace, they can be held responsible for resulting injuries under product liability principles.

Product liability claims involving contaminated food often proceed under theories of strict liability. This legal framework can allow injured consumers to pursue compensation without having to prove the manufacturer acted negligently or knew about the contamination. The focus is on whether the product was unreasonably dangerous when it left the manufacturer’s control.

In cases involving food contamination, several parties in the supply chain may share responsibility. The manufacturer who processes the food, the distributor who transports it, and potentially even retailers or restaurants who serve it to consumers may all face liability depending on their respective roles in allowing the contaminated product to reach consumers.

Establishing causation remains essential in any product liability case. Medical documentation confirming a listeria infection, laboratory testing results, purchase records or receipts showing acquisition of the recalled product, and evidence linking the illness to consumption of Suzanna’s Kitchen chicken all help demonstrate the connection between the contaminated food and the injury suffered.

Florida’s statute of limitations generally provides a four-year window for filing product liability claims. However, because listeria symptoms can develop weeks or even months after exposure, determining when this deadline begins can involve complex legal analysis. Prompt consultation with an attorney helps protect your rights and ensures critical deadlines aren’t missed.

The recall affecting Clearwater and other Florida communities highlights an important reality: even products that appear safe can harbor deadly contamination. Families who rely on ready-to-eat foods from restaurants, cafeterias, and food service providers deserve accountability when manufacturers fail to maintain proper safety standards.

Light & Wyatt Law Group: Fighting for Florida Families

At Light & Wyatt Law Group, our product recall attorneys understand the challenges Florida families face when contaminated food causes serious illness or death. We investigate the source of contamination, identify all responsible parties in the supply chain, and build strong cases for full and fair compensation. Our team handles the legal complexities while you focus on recovery and caring for your family.

If you or someone you love has suffered illness after consuming Suzanna’s Kitchen chicken products, or any other recalled or contaminated food, contact Light & Wyatt Law Group at 727-499-9900 today for a free consultation with a product recall lawyer who will fight for your family’s rights and pursue the compensation you deserve.

Jim Magazine

James (Jim) Magazine is a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial lawyer who has spent his career helping injured victims. Jim is licensed to practice law in the State of Florida since 1990 and is also admitted to practice at the Appellate level and admitted to the United States Supreme Court.

Years of Experience: More than 30 years
Florida Registration Status: Active
Bar Admissions:
Clearwater Bar Association
West Pasco Bar Association