11 listeria cases, 1 infant death linked to South Carolina food processor, CDC says

A multistate outbreak of a food-borne illness has been linked to a South Carolina-based food processor in the Upstate, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. At least 11 cases have been reported and 72,000 pounds of meat and poultry have been recalled.

Data showed that ready-to-eat meat and poultry products distributed by Yu Shang Food Inc. in Spartanburg were contaminated with listeria and making people sick.

As of Friday, 11 people were reported infected across four states between 2021 and 2024. Nine cases resulted in hospitalizations. In California, a pregnant person and their twins were sick and both babies died. Only one of the babies was found to have been infected with the illness.

Listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, headache and stomach problems, among other symptoms. The infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of a newborn. It is also a serious illness for older people and those with weakened immune systems.

Officials said the actual number of people who got sick in the outbreak is likely higher than just the cases reported, because some people recover without medical care. And recent illnesses might not have been reported yet, because it can take three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak.

The CDC, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and officials in several states, are collecting more information and interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. Among the eight people interviewed, seven people shopped in person and online at markets where Yu Shang food products are sold. Two people specifically reported eating Yu Shang brand ready-to-eat chicken products.

In October, routine testing of Yu Shang products confirmed that a pork snout product was contaminated with listeria, and was closely related to the bacteria from the sick people.

The CDC said that people likely got sick from eating foods produced by Yu Shang.

Yu Shang recalled ready-to-eat meat and poultry products on Nov. 9, and expanded the recall on Nov. 21. People should not eat, sell or serve any of the recalled products, the USDA said. These include cooked chicken, pork belly, beef, lamb and more. They bear establishment number “P-46684” or “EST. M46684” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to retail locations nationwide and available online.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.