Urgent recall for burger patties due to ANOTHER BrucePac listeria contamination

A South Dakota sandwich maker is recalling some of its burgers over concerns they may be contaminated with listeria.

The sandwiches are made by Dakota Tom’s Sandwiches in South Dakota and were distributed in stores and truck stops in Mount Rushmore State, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wyoming.

The sandwiches in question contained ingredients from a supplier that has already been contaminated, including the group’s Pepper Jack and Bacon cheeseburgers, and ground around known as the Gambler.

No illnesses have been reported two days after the recall was issued.

In a statement, Dakota Tom’s Sandwiches explained how it is no longer using the patties that may have been contaminated in its ready-to-eat creations as the nationwide BrucePac chicken and beef recall — now 11.7 million pounds strong — continues.

The burger, along with the Gambler burger from South Dakota (seen here), is being recalled because it is made from patties from a supplier that has seen more than 11 million pounds of product contaminated with the often-deadly bacteria

Dakota Tom’s announcement, meanwhile, revealed how the company that bills its ingredients as “high quality” and its sandwiches as “handmade” voluntarily initiated the recall because it had received ingredients from the company in question.

The hamburger patties used in the prepackaged snacks were included in the now nearly 12 million pound BrucePac recall, according to the company.

“The ingredient supplier recall is due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination,” the statement added, without specifying how many ready-to-eat sandwiches are being recalled.

It appeared on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website Friday as Oklahoma-based BrucePac’s practices continue to come under scrutiny.

The company said earlier this month that the affected products were produced from June 19, 2024 to October 8, 2024.

They were shipped to other stores and distributors, such as Dakota Tom’s, potentially expanding the reach of the contagion.

A third sandwich, the group’s Pepper Jack burger, is also being recalled. The sandwiches are sold ready-made in stores in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wyoming

In a statement, Dakota Tom’s Sandwiches explained how it is no longer using the patties that may have been contaminated, while a nationwide recall of chicken and beef from BrucePac – the supplier that supplied the patties – continues.

As the recall widens, Dakota Tom’s told customers that the recalled burgers all have a best-before date of September 1, 2024 to November 23.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) discovered the listeria early last month during routine product testing, following the widespread Boar’s Head outbreak over the summer.

At the Oklahoma plant, ready-to-eat chicken tested positive for the deadly bacteria.

The source of the contamination was later identified as being caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Although it is not known exactly which type of chicken is contaminated, ready-to-eat meat refers to food that comes in a package, as is the case with burgers.

This could mean rotisserie chickens, chicken meats or other chicken-based meats are also at risk, months after the Boar’s Head meats outbreak dented consumer confidence.

In the recall, the New York-based company recalled 7 million pounds of meat, still about 3 million pounds less than the recall initiated by BrucePac.

Eating foods containing Listeria monocytogenes 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 newborns.

Dakota Tom’s bills the ingredients as ‘high quality’ and says it is voluntarily embarking on the recall out of an abundance of caution

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.

Consumers who purchased the potentially contaminated Dakota Tom sandwiches were told Friday to return the items for a full refund and not to consume them.

Any other concerns should be raised directly with the company via a phone call, they said.

This is a development story; check back for updates.