Quick Answer
In late June 2026, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for Private Selection raw honey Dijon boneless chicken breast sold at Kroger and Fred Meyer stores in nine states. The product contains egg, a major allergen, that was not listed on the label. The supplier is FW Farms LLC. FSIS chose a public health alert rather than a formal recall because the product is largely past its sell-by date.
Customers with an egg allergy should not eat the affected chicken. Throw it out or return it to the store for a refund.
What FSIS Said
FSIS announced the alert on June 25, 2026 according to Food Safety News, with parallel coverage by FOX 7 Austin, WKRC Local 12 and Delish. The agency described the issue as misbranding and undeclared allergens. The honey Dijon marinade in the product contains eggs, but the front of the package did not declare the allergen in the way required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Which Product Is Affected
The alert covers Kroger's Private Selection brand raw honey Dijon boneless chicken breast, supplied by FW Farms LLC. The chicken was packaged in foam trays with shrink-wrap film and sold at the meat counter or in refrigerated cases.
- Brand: Private Selection (Kroger's premium own brand)
- Product: Raw honey Dijon boneless chicken breast (rib meat included)
- Establishment: FW Farms LLC
- Allergen of concern: Egg
Where the Chicken Was Sold
According to FOX 7 and Local 12, the product was shipped to Kroger and Fred Meyer retail stores across nine states, including Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Illinois and several others on the Kroger family of brands footprint. Indiana and Kentucky stores in the Tri-State area were specifically named in the Local 12 coverage.
Why It Is an Alert, Not a Recall
FSIS issues a public health alert rather than a formal recall when most or all of the affected product has likely already been sold or has passed its sell-by date. The reasoning is practical: a formal recall in those conditions does not change what is on store shelves, but the public still needs to be warned, particularly people with the relevant food allergy. Consumers who may have frozen the chicken or who have not yet used it should treat the alert exactly like a recall.
What to Do If You Have the Product
- If you or anyone in your household has an egg allergy: do not eat the product. Discard it or return it to Kroger or Fred Meyer for a refund.
- If you have already eaten it: for most people without egg allergy, the chicken is not unsafe in any other way. For anyone with egg allergy who has consumed it and is experiencing symptoms (hives, swelling, wheezing, vomiting), seek medical attention immediately and call 911 for any sign of anaphylaxis.
- If you froze it for later: the alert applies regardless of freezing. Treat it the same way.
Why Egg Is on the Major Allergen List
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), updated by the FASTER Act in 2021, lists nine "major" food allergens that must be clearly declared on packaged food labels: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Egg is one of the most common allergens in children and one of the more frequent triggers of undeclared-allergen recalls.
How Marinades Cause Most Of These Alerts
Sauces and marinades are the single biggest source of undeclared-allergen incidents in poultry recalls. A supplier may change a marinade recipe, switch to a new ingredient batch or move production to a line that does not flow through the same label-update workflow, and the result is a product whose front label no longer matches what's inside. Eggs, milk and soy show up repeatedly because they are common emulsifiers and binders.
Kroger Private Selection in Context
Private Selection is Kroger's premium own brand, marketed against national-brand benchmarks. The brand spans pantry items, dairy, produce and prepared meats. A public health alert on a Private Selection product is a notable hit to the brand's quality positioning, even when the supplier (FW Farms LLC in this case) is the actual point of failure rather than Kroger's own facilities.
Getting a Refund From Kroger or Fred Meyer
Both retailers will refund recalled or alerted products without a receipt in most cases. Bring the product (or just the packaging if you have already discarded it) to the customer service desk and explain it is the FSIS-flagged honey Dijon chicken. Some stores will also accept a clear photo of the label as proof of purchase.
What's Next
FSIS typically updates its public health alerts if illness reports come in or if new product information surfaces. Check fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts for the latest. If you have an egg allergy, signing up for FSIS email alerts is a low-effort way to catch future incidents early.
Bottom Line
The Private Selection chicken recall at Kroger in 2026 is technically a USDA public health alert, not a formal recall, but the practical advice is the same: if you have an egg allergy and bought Private Selection raw honey Dijon boneless chicken breast, do not eat it. Throw it out or return it for a refund.
