BrucePac has recalled more than 9.9 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry contaminated with Listeria.
The Oklahoma-based company announced that the products were produced from June 19, 2024 to October 8, 2024. They were shipped to other stores and distributors in the United States.
Product labels and the list of products affected by the recall will be made available soon, according to a notice from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
For now, all products with location number ‘51205 or P-51205’ within or under the USDA inspection mark are included in the recall.
BrucePac recalls more than 9 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry contaminated with Listeria (stock image)
This could mean that rotisserie chickens, chicken deli meats, or other chicken-based meats are at risk (stock image)
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency within the USDA, discovered the listeria during routine product testing.
Ready-to-eat chicken tested positive for the deadly bacteria and was later identified as the source of the contamination.
Although it is not known exactly which type of chicken is contaminated, ready-to-eat meat is meat that comes in a package and does not require additional preparation.
This could mean that rotisserie chickens, chicken deli meats, or other types of chicken-based meats are at risk.
This latest food safety violation comes after Boar’s Head deli meat was found to be laced with Listeria. So far, 10 people have died and 59 people have been hospitalized by the end of September.
By comparison, Boar’s Head recalled 7 million pounds of meat, nearly 3 million pounds less than the BrucePac-initiated recall.
Eating foods containing Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria’s full name, can cause a person to develop a listeriosis infection, which is extremely dangerous for older adults, people with compromised immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborn children.
Symptoms of listeriosis may include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. All of these symptoms can occur after diarrhea or other digestive problems.
Pregnant women may experience miscarriages, stillbirths, or premature births of their infants if they are infected with listeria.
FSIS believes that some of the contaminated chicken may be available in restaurants, stores and other establishments. Therefore, the agency urges anyone who comes across the contaminated products to throw them away immediately.
According to FSIS, there are no known cases of anyone becoming ill from this chicken.