French authorities have issued an urgent recall for multiple chicken products sold at major supermarket chains across the country after tests revealed contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis. The recall, published on the government's official RappelConso platform under reference 2026-02-0109, covers seven different product lines including chicken fillets, chicken strips, halal chicken fillets, and quick-cook chicken portions manufactured by Belgian poultry company Plukon Maasmechelen NV. The affected items were sold at Carrefour, Intermarche, Colruyt, and Coop-U stores throughout France.
The contaminated products were commercialised between January 27 and February 6, 2026, under batch number 26022001, with a best-before date of February 6. All items were sold as unbranded refrigerated products in various packaging sizes ranging from 500 grams to 2.5 kilograms. The recall covers both conventional and halal-certified chicken lines, affecting a broad cross-section of consumers. Authorities have warned that anyone who purchased chicken fillets or strips matching the listed EAN codes from the affected retailers during this period should check their refrigerators immediately.
Salmonella Enteritidis is one of the most common bacterial causes of foodborne illness worldwide. Infections typically produce symptoms including sudden-onset diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and headaches, which can appear between 6 and 72 hours after consumption of contaminated food. While most healthy adults recover within a few days, the infection poses serious risks to vulnerable populations including young children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, and people with weakened immune systems. The French health authorities have urged anyone experiencing these symptoms after consuming the recalled products to seek medical attention without delay.
The recall was initiated voluntarily by Plukon Maasmechelen, a subsidiary of the Plukon Food Group, one of Europe's largest poultry processors. Consumers are instructed not to eat any of the affected products and to either destroy them or return them to the point of sale for a full refund. A dedicated helpline has been established at 0032 476 608 298 for customers seeking further information. The livestream replay and product listings have been removed from retailer websites, and store-level withdrawals are underway across all four retail chains.
This latest recall adds to a series of food safety incidents involving poultry products in France in recent weeks. Earlier in February, a separate recall was issued for chicken drumsticks contaminated with Listeria sold at multiple French retailers including Leclerc and Super U. Consumer advocacy groups have called on the French food safety agency DGCCRF to strengthen its monitoring of imported poultry products and ensure that processing plants across the supply chain meet rigorous hygiene standards. The government's RappelConso platform continues to be the authoritative source for up-to-date recall information.
Comments