What We Know About the Yu Shang Listeria Outbreak
CDC and FSIS investigated a multistate Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to ready-to-eat meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food, Inc. of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The investigation closed on March 13, 2025 with 24 illnesses across 9 states, 22 hospitalizations, and 3 deaths including infants. Eight illnesses were pregnancy-associated.
How FSIS Discovered the Source
FSIS performed routine testing of finished product produced by Yu Shang Food, Inc. on October 21, 2024 that confirmed the product was positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Additional testing detected the outbreak strain in both product and environmental samples at the facility. On November 9, 2024, Yu Shang initiated a recall. On November 21, FSIS expanded the recall to approximately 72,240 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry produced before October 28, 2024.
The 72,240-Pound Recall
The recall covered ready-to-eat items including pork hock, chicken feet, duck neck, beef shank, pork belly, and chicken gizzards sold at ethnic grocery markets nationwide and through online sales. These products are typically consumed without further cooking, which makes Listeria contamination especially dangerous since the heat treatment that would normally kill the bacteria never happens at home.
Pregnancy and Infant Cases
Eight of the 24 illnesses were pregnancy-associated, and three infant deaths were tied to the outbreak. In California, a mother and her twin infants became ill, and both infants died. Listeria was confirmed in the mother and in one of the twins. Because Listeria could not be found in a sample from the other twin, only the mother and one twin are counted among the 24 confirmed cases. A second pregnancy-associated cluster in Tennessee involved a mother and her infant, with the infant dying. CDC reported cases from nine states without publishing a state-by-state count, but California, where Yu Shang’s products were distributed most heavily through ethnic markets, accounted for the largest share.
Why the Outbreak Lasted Years
Sample collection dates from sick people ranged from October 24, 2021 to January 25, 2025, a more than three-year span. Listeria has an unusually long incubation period (up to 70 days), and the bacteria can persist in food processing environments. Whole genome sequencing allowed investigators to connect sporadic illnesses across years to the same outbreak strain.
Your Legal Rights
If you or a family member developed listeriosis after eating recalled Yu Shang products, your family may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, hospitalization costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages. Families who lost infants or family members may pursue wrongful death claims. Preserve purchase records, leftover food, and laboratory results.
Ron Simon & Associates is a food poisoning law firm that has recovered over $850 million for victims nationwide. Our Listeria lawyers focus exclusively on foodborne illness litigation and are reviewing claims from this outbreak. You pay our law firm nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us for a free consultation at 1-888-335-4901.