Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling nearly 8.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products because they may be contaminated with Listeria, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Saturday.

“The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021,” the agency said in a statement.

“The products subject to recall bear establishment number ‘EST. P-7089’ on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations,” the statement said.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it received a notification June 9 of two people who became ill with listeriosis, and worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health agencies to determine there was evidence linking the illnesses to Tyson pre-cooked chicken products.

“Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms,” the FSIS statement said.

Consumers and businesses or institutions that may have these products should throw them away or return them to the store where they were purchased, the agency said.