Sunday Alert: McCormack Farms Recall Expands to Fresh Choice Market Brand

• Food safety officials have issued an urgent Sunday update expanding the McCormack Family Farms salad recall to include Fresh Choice Market products, as Listeria testing reveals wider contamination across the Irish producer's supply chain.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland released Update 1 to Alert 2025.47 this morning, 31 August 2025, adding Fresh Choice Market Mixed Leaves in 100g packs to the extensive recall announced yesterday. The affected batches, JD234 and JD238, overlap with codes already flagged in Saturday's alert.

The Sunday expansion brings the total to three brands now affected by the McCormack contamination: McCormack Family Farms own-label products, Egan's Irish Baby Spinach, and Fresh Choice Market items. The timing of the update, issued on a Sunday morning, underscores the urgency of removing contaminated products from sale.

Fresh Choice Market products are typically sold in smaller independent retailers and markets across Cork and Munster. Shop owners who may not regularly check for weekend alerts are urged to immediately remove the 100g Mixed Leaves packs with batch codes JD234 and JD238.

This latest addition suggests ongoing testing at McCormack facilities continues to uncover the extent of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The overlapping batch codes indicate the contamination affected multiple product lines during the same production periods.

The FSAI has reiterated that this recall remains separate from the ongoing investigation into listeriosis cases linked to ready-to-heat meals. However, the frequency of Listeria-related recalls this summer has heightened concerns about food safety protocols across Irish food production.

For Cork consumers doing their Sunday shopping, the expanded recall means checking three different brand names for affected products. Anyone who purchased salad products from McCormack Family Farms, regardless of the brand label, should verify batch codes immediately.

Vulnerable groups including pregnant women, babies, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems face the highest risks from Listeria exposure. With symptoms potentially taking up to 70 days to appear, vigilance is required well into autumn.

Retailers who typically receive deliveries from McCormack should review all stock, as the company produces salads for multiple brands beyond those currently named. The FSAI warns that further updates may follow as the investigation continues.

Weekend shoppers are advised to avoid purchasing any McCormack-produced salads until the full extent of contamination is determined. Check the FSAI website for the complete and updated list of affected products across all three brands.