These Popular Ready-To-Eat Wraps May Contain Deadly Bacteria — FDA Issues Public Health Alert

If a pregnant woman eats contaminated food, this bacteria can sneak past her placenta and kill her unborn baby.

PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO

A couple is chatting while holding half-eaten wraps in their hands. (Representative Cover Image Source: Freepik)

Fast food joints have become the go-to spot for many who love a sandwich, burger, or wrap for a quick meal. But how healthy are these fast food items? Unbeknownst to the knowledge of the joint’s chefs, a mysterious process might be unfolding inside the sandwich wrap. Listeria monocytongenes, an elusive bacteria that typically resides in soil, water, vegetation, animal poop, and raw milk, could have made its way into your sandwich wrap through its ingredients. If you take a bite of this wrap, the bacteria will seep inside your mouth, release a protein that will cling to your intestinal walls, and start invading your immune system.

Photo depicting green-colored bacteria (Representative Image Source: Freepik)

Once the parasitic bacteria have gained full control of your system, it will start assaulting one organ after the other, ultimately stealing the consciousness from your very brain, explains NIH. A horror story like this hasn’t unfolded so far, but there was all the possibility that it could have, if a public health alert hadn’t been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for these ready-to-eat wraps. The alert was issued for Rachel’s Food Corp.’s chicken and bacon ranch wraps produced on May 2, 2025.

Three vegetable wraps slinging with juicy and crispy veggies (Representative Image Source: Freepik)

The agency alerted the public of two different lines of these ready-to-eat snacks, including 10-oz clear plastic clamshell packages containing “Big Y quick easy meals chicken bacon ranch wrap” with a Sell-By date of “05/07/2025” and a lot code of 25122. Another product was the 10-oz clear plastic clamshell packages containing “Market 32 by Free Price Chopper Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap” with a Sell-By date of “05/07/2025” and lot code 25122. These products were distributed to retail stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, according to the FSIS press release. “The problem was discovered when a state public health partner notified FSIS of a product sample that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes,” the FSIS stated in a press release.

A man and a woman looking away from each other and eating wraps packed in butter paper (Representative Image Source: Freepik)

A recall was not initiated because these products are no longer available on the market. So far, there have been no reports of health concerns among the consumers. In case you’re experiencing any health issues after eating any of these appetizers, the agency suggests contacting your nearest doctor immediately. Being invisible to the naked eye, this ominous bacterium, L. monocytogenes, poses a dire threat to your life. If its host cells are successful in making their way inside your bodily system, there is no escape from the malady you may have to go through. Symptoms will begin with loss of balance, confusion, and convulsions, which will then be followed by fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, and vomiting, the press release explains.

Photo Of Woman Pushing Cart.(Representative Image Source: Pexels | Hobi industri)

The bacteria especially attack bodies that have a weaker immune system, such as pregnant women, elder adults, and newborns. NIH explains that eating food contaminated with this bacterium can be life-threatening for the newborn. If a pregnant woman becomes infected with L. monocytogenes, the bacteria can sneak into her placenta and infect the unborn baby, whose immune system is not fully developed and is unable to fight off the infection. Regarding the alert issued for these Rachel Food’s wraps, consumers can contact Mike Pepin, Vice President of Operations, Rachael's Food Corp., at 413-888-1629 for questions and queries.