Made Fresh Salads Inc. recalled 68 ready-to-eat deli foods, cream cheese products and spreads on September 6, 2026, after possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination was found. The recall covers 43 deli-style salads and prepared foods, along with 25 cream cheese or spread products that were distributed across New York City.
The Bay Shore, New York company said the foods reached retailers and distributors in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and elsewhere in New York City, which means shoppers may not have seen the products in their original packaging. Some were sold under the Northside brand, and the items left the manufacturer in 5-pound or 30-pound white plastic tubs and half-size aluminum pans before expiration dates running from September 3 through September 18, 2026.
That packaging matters because the recall involves ready-to-eat deli foods that can be repackaged into smaller containers before sale. A customer looking for a familiar label may not realize the product on a shelf or in a deli case came from the recalled lot, especially when the cream cheese varieties include scallion, lox, strawberry, vegetable, garlic and herb, jalapeño, blueberry and whipped cream cheese.
No illnesses had been reported when the recall was announced, and the recall was not triggered by someone becoming sick. Even so, environmental sampling conducted by the FDA and Made Fresh Salads found Listeria monocytogenes in some areas of the company's facility, which is what pushed the company to stop production and distribution while the investigation continued.
That is the sharp edge of this recall: the danger was detected before reported illness, but the products were already out in the city and could have moved through more than one layer of repackaging. Listeria can cause serious illness, especially among older adults, pregnant women, newborns and people with weakened immune systems, so consumers who bought recalled Made Fresh Salads products are being told to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.
For now, the key question is identification. Consumers in New York City who bought deli-counter salads, cream cheeses or spreads with expiration dates from September 3 through September 18 should check what they have, because the exact item may have been repackaged and the Northside name may be the only clue left on the label.
