A wave of large-scale food recalls has hit Costco, with the wholesale giant pulling another five chicken foods from shelves over listeria fears.
Five products, including popular frozen snacks and quick pasta meals, have been recalled, and Costco is urging anyone who purchased the recalled items from September to October 2024 to throw them away or return them to where you purchased the products .
The superstore’s latest move is part of a growing contamination problem at an Oklahoma plant where BrucePac makes ready-to-eat chicken and meat products.
BrucePac has recalled 12 million pounds of meat distributed to stores, restaurants and schools across the country.
Costco has pulled about 200 products from its shelves so far amid concerns about listeria contamination linked to a single meat and poultry manufacturer
The USDA, which oversees food inspections, has confirmed no illnesses linked to the contaminated chicken.
But officials said they worry that cases of listeriosis could soon appear given the wide reach of the chicken manufacturer, which has distributed its products to major retailers like Aldi, Trader Joe’s and Walmart, as well as to hundreds of schools in more than a dozen states.
The newest items to hit Costco shelves include the Readywise 110-Serving Emergency Protein Bucket, Red’s Southwestern Grill Chicken Mini Burritos, El Monterey Mexican Grill Chicken & Cheese Taquitos, Rana Chicken Truffle Carbonara and Tagliatelle Grilled White Chicken & Portabello Mushroom Sauce.
The wholesale giant’s latest move to halt sales of these items is part of a broader recall that includes 200 products, accounting for 11,765,285 pounds of food containing chicken.
Listeria contamination was discovered at a factory in Oklahoma where BrucePac makes ready-to-eat chicken and meat products.
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service said, “The problem was discovered after FSIS conducted routine product testing of finished products containing RTE poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed that these products were positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
“Further FSIS investigation identified BrucePac RTE chicken as the source of Listeria monocytogenes.”
The recalled products were manufactured from May 31, 2024 through October 8, 2024. Some products may have a sell-by date well into the future, which can be confusing to consumers who realize their apparently shelf-stable product may be dangerous.
Out of an abundance of caution, Readywise decided to stop selling its product to stores like Costco, which has already pulled it from their shelves
The Readywise 110 Serving Emergency Protein Bucket sold at Costco has a shelf life of 25 years and is intended to be used in survival situations. It has not been shown to be contaminated with listeria, but was recalled ‘out of an abundance of caution’.
Costco’s other products may have “best buy” dates well into the future, such as 2026.
The FSIS said it is “concerned” that some of these products sent to Costco and other stores may currently be available for use in restaurants, institutions, schools and other settings.
“These other companies may have used tainted meat and poultry in RTE products that may be on store shelves or in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Restaurants, institutions, schools and other establishments are urged not to serve or use these products. These products should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.”
Easy meals made by Rana are included in the recall, although it is not clear whether these products are actually contaminated
In addition to affecting BrucePac’s chicken products, the recall has also extended to beef.
Dakota Tom’s Sandwiches in South Dakota recalled its hamburger patties being distributed at stores and truck stops in Mount Rushmore State, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wyoming.
Listeria infection causes listeriosis. Most people who get listeriosis do not become seriously ill.
But each year, about 1,600 people in the U.S. develop serious listeria infections, known as listeriosis — and about 260 of those infections are fatal.
Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other adults because of changes in the immune system during pregnancy, which make it easier to get infections and harder for the body to fight them.
If it spreads to the nervous system, listeria can also lead to severe encephalitis, blood poisoning, convulsions and swelling of the brain. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are critical to avoid the worst possible outcome.
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In addition to causing flu-like symptoms, listeriosis can also cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. In severe cases, this can lead to life-changing seizures and paralysis.
This was the case for Michael Silberman, 86, of Florida, who contracted listeria earlier this year, which led to brain swelling and seizures that required heavy doctors to sedate him for weeks.
He can now only get around the house with a walker and cannot drive, go shopping, shower or care for his wife Barbara, who suffers from arthritis.
He claims he contracted the bug after eating a sliced turkey sandwich made by Boar’s Head, which was part of a major recall related to listeria.