E.Leclerc Bas-Rhin chicken recall: salmonella and pseudomonas warning

Residents of eastern France are being asked to inspect their refrigerators after a batch of commonly bought poultry prompted renewed health warnings.

Food safety officials in France have identified bacterial contamination in chicken fillets sold locally. The alert has led to a focused recall at one E.Leclerc hypermarket in Bas-Rhin, putting everyday food safety back in focus for households watching their spending.

What happened at the Leclerc store in Bas-Rhin

The warning relates to fresh chicken fillets sold at the E.Leclerc “Schildis” hypermarket in Schiltigheim, immediately north of Strasbourg in the Bas-Rhin department. Although the products were available for just a limited number of days, they may still have been purchased by many local households.

Information issued through Rappel Conso, the French government’s product-recall website, states that the fresh fillets were sold in plastic film-wrapped trays. They carried no dedicated consumer brand and were displayed in the self-service chilled meat aisle.

Only the Schiltigheim-Schildis E.Leclerc centre is involved in this recall. No other Leclerc store, nor any other supermarket chain, is targeted by the warning.

The chicken came from one batch supplied locally by SCHILDIS E.Leclerc. Anyone who purchased chicken from the shop in mid-February is urged to compare their product against the details below.

How to identify the recalled chicken

Authorities in France have published specific reference details so shoppers can identify the affected chicken and separate it from products that are safe to eat.

• Product: Fresh chicken fillets in film-wrapped trays
• Store: E.Leclerc Schiltigheim-Schildis (Bas-Rhin)
• Shelf dates: 16/02/2026 to 20/02/2026
• Batch number: Nollens 16.02 – LCFEGKND10
• GTIN codes: 0229437000000 and 0229769000000
• Use-by date: 20/02/2026

A tray bearing these identifiers must be regarded as unsafe, regardless of whether it appears or smells normal, or has remained refrigerated throughout.

If the batch number or GTIN matches, assume the meat is contaminated and must not be eaten, even when cooked thoroughly.

The bacteria found: salmonella and pseudomonas

Laboratory analysis of the chicken batch identified a “double contamination” involving two bacterial groups: Salmonella ssp. and Pseudomonas ssp.

Pseudomonas bacteria can alter food’s appearance, odour and consistency. They may lead to spoilage and unpleasant tastes, particularly if the cold chain has been interrupted. At typical levels in food, they seldom cause severe illness in otherwise healthy people.

The more serious issue in this case is Salmonella.

Why salmonella is a real health risk

Salmonella is a recognised source of food poisoning throughout Europe and North America. The bacteria can thrive in uncooked poultry, eggs and, on occasion, other animal-derived foods when hygiene failures occur during production.

Salmonella can provoke sudden gastroenteritis marked by diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever and headache, sometimes only a few hours after eating contaminated food.

Known as salmonellosis, the illness generally lasts several days, although it can be more serious for certain people. Babies, small children, older people, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of dehydration and other complications.

On rare occasions, the bacteria may move beyond the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream, resulting in invasive infections that need urgent hospital treatment.

What shoppers should do if they bought this chicken

French officials state that the recalled chicken must not be eaten in any circumstances. Although cooking lowers the danger, it cannot fully ensure safety once a product has been judged unfit for consumption.

Step	Action
1	Examine chicken trays for the shelf date, batch number, GTIN and use-by date.
2	When the details correspond to the recalled batch, do not taste, cook or freeze the chicken.
3	Put the tray into a sealed bag to avoid leaks in the kitchen or while taking it back to the shop.
4	Take the product back to the E.Leclerc Schiltigheim-Schildis store by Thursday 12 March 2026 to receive a refund.
5	Clean your hands, knives, chopping boards and every surface that may have come into contact with the raw chicken.

For additional guidance about refunds, shoppers can call the store’s customer service team on 03 88 33 19 67.

What if you have already eaten the chicken?

Anyone who has eaten the recalled fillets but feels well does not require immediate treatment. However, they should keep an eye on their health over the following 3 to 5 days.

Symptoms to look out for are:

• Frequent diarrhoea or particularly watery stools
• Vomiting or ongoing nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Fever or shivering
• Headache and severe tiredness

Anyone showing these symptoms after eating chicken from the affected batch should seek medical advice quickly, especially vulnerable people such as children, older adults or those with chronic illnesses.

Medical professionals can check hydration, arrange tests where appropriate and determine whether treatment is necessary. Usually, rest, fluids and basic medical support are sufficient, but professional advice can help prevent complications.

Why chicken recalls matter in an age of tight budgets

This recall comes as chicken has become the preferred meat for many households in France, as it has in the UK and US. With beef and even pork becoming costlier, families often choose poultry because it is a more affordable, leaner ingredient suitable for a wide range of meals.

Chicken from supermarkets, often originating from intensive farming systems, is usually the lowest-cost choice. It features in weekday stir-fries, tray bakes, sandwiches and meal-preparation boxes. A recall affecting such a household staple can therefore disrupt daily routines quickly.

Food safety specialists emphasise that recalls are not evidence that all chicken is unsafe. Rather, they demonstrate that controls are working by identifying affected batches and reducing consumer exposure.

Simple habits that reduce the risk of food poisoning at home

Careful treatment of raw poultry is important in every kitchen, even when no recall is in place. Several straightforward practices can significantly reduce the risk:

• Store raw chicken apart from foods that are ready to eat in the fridge.
• Keep a separate chopping board for raw meat and wash it immediately afterwards in hot, soapy water.
• Do not rinse raw chicken beneath the tap, because splashes may spread bacteria around the sink area.
• Cook chicken until its juices run clear and its thickest point reaches at least 75°C.
• Chill leftovers promptly and refrigerate them, then reheat them thoroughly no more than once.

Such precautions cannot make safe a contaminated batch like the chicken recalled in Bas-Rhin. They can, however, reduce the risks linked to routine handling and cross-contamination, which are frequent causes of problems in domestic kitchens.

Understanding food recalls and what they signal

A food recall commonly begins after laboratory testing by producers, retailers or public authorities. If an item does not meet microbiological or chemical safety requirements, it is removed from sale and consumers are alerted.

Most recalls provide a full refund, including where some of the product has already been used. Retailers commonly notify customers through signs in shops and on websites, as well as increasingly through targeted communications linked to loyalty cards.

While recalls can feel alarming, they are also a sign that traceability works: specific batches can be identified, tracked and pulled before a minor issue becomes a widespread crisis.

For people in Bas-Rhin, the immediate actions are clear: inspect recent chicken purchases from the Schiltigheim-Schildis Leclerc, return trays that match the recall details and monitor for symptoms if any has been eaten. The incident is also a reminder that staple foods still warrant a quick label check, a careful look and safe handling once they are brought home.