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3,215 Pounds of Deli Meat Recalled Over Listeria Risk — Check for a July 16 Production Date

A Chicago producer's pastrami and corned beef reached three states before moving further through foodservice channels. No illnesses have been reported, and the products' 60-day shelf life hasn't run out yet.

Meridians Life Desk

Published 27 August 2026 · Updated 27 August 2026 · 4 min read

3,215 Pounds of Deli Meat Recalled Over Listeria Risk — Check for a July 16 Production DateFood
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The short answer

  • City Foods, Inc. of Chicago recalled about 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef brisket on August 8, 2026, after testing found possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
  • The recalled products were produced July 16, 2026, carry a 60-day shelf life, and were distributed to Illinois, Iowa and Michigan foodservice locations before moving further.
  • No illnesses have been confirmed as linked to the recall, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
  • Three items are affected: Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami, Bea's Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket, and Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket.

City Foods, Inc., a Chicago meat processor operating under establishment number EST. 1896, recalled about 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef brisket on August 8, 2026. The reason: possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, found during the company's routine inspection activities. No illnesses have been confirmed as linked to the products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

What's covered by the recall

  • Midamar Premium Beef Pastrami (case code 19410)
  • Bea's Best Cooked Corned Beef Brisket (case code 18919)
  • Kirsch Delicatessen Style Cooked Corned Beef Brisket (case code 19751)
  • All three were produced July 16, 2026, and carry a 60-day shelf life.

Where the products went

FSIS says the recalled products were shipped to foodservice locations in Illinois, Iowa and Michigan, and moved further from there — meaning the meat may have reached other states through distributors and restaurants rather than direct retail sale. That makes it harder for an individual shopper to know whether they were exposed; the recall is aimed mainly at institutions and foodservice operators who received the product directly.

Why Listeria is treated differently from other bacteria

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections in older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, in whom it can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Unlike some foodborne bacteria, it can grow slowly even in refrigerated food, which is part of why FSIS treats any possible contamination in ready-to-eat products as a high-priority recall.

What to do

  • Do not eat any of the three products listed above.
  • Check for the case codes and July 16, 2026 production date if you received product through a foodservice account.
  • Throw the product away or return it to the place of purchase.
  • Contact City Foods at 773-523-1566 or brian@beasbest.com with questions, or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Life Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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