A huge recall of almost 12 million pounds of meat affects hundreds of products sold at stores throughout Florida.
The meat also was distributed to schools, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Routine testing found evidence of listeria monocytogenes on BrucePac ready-to-eat poultry, which can cause a listeriosis infection if consumed. The meat is included in hundreds of products sold throughout the U.S.
The recall was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Tuesday as an expansion of an earlier recall issued Oct. 9, increasing the amount of recalled products from 9,986,245 to 11,765,285 pounds.
BrucePac supplies ready-to-eat meat to other companies, which then use that meat in various products. As of Thursday morning, the USDA has a 343-page document of specific retailers, brands and food items containing the recalled meats.
Here’s what you should know.
What meat is being recalled?
The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced from May 31, 2024, to Oct. 8, 2024, in BrucePac’s Durant, Okalahoma, facility.
The products subject to have establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection but BrucePac said those numbers “are only on packages we ship directly to our customers. Consumers will not find this number on their retail packages of recalled items.”
The problem was discovered after the Food Safety and Inspection Service performed routine testing of finished products containing ready-to-eat poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed those products tested positive for listeria monocytogenes, the FSIS said.
A subsequent FSIS investigation identified BrucePac ready-to-eat chicken as the source of the listeria monocytogenes.
Where was the meat shipped to?
These products were shipped nationwide then distributed to restaurants, schools and institutions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
What Florida stores sold the meat and products included in the recall?
The meat was distributed to several stores in Florida, including:
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Walmart
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Kroger
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Publix
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Target
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Aldi
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Amazon Fresh
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Trader Joe’s
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7-Eleven
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Wegmans
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Save Mart
What brand names are included in the recall?
The USDA is regularly updating the list of affected products. Check FSIS.gov frequently. As of Thursday morning, the list was 343 pages. Brand names using the meat in the recall include:
How do you know if you have one of the recalled products?
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Pull up the growing list of products
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Use the search function on your computer (usually Ctrl+F for Windows or Command+F on a Mac.)
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Type in product name or brand, establishment number or best-by date.
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Press enter or click the search button.
You’ll find names of products included in the recall, along with pictures, lot codes and best-by dates to compare with what you purchased.
What to do if you have a recalled product
The USDA advises consumers who have purchased these products not to eat them and instead throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.
Retailers with the products in stock are likewise advised not to sell recalled products and to dispose of or return them.
Has anyone gotten sick from eating the meat being recalled?
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.
What are listeria?
Listeria are bacteria that can contaminate many foods, according to the CDC.
What are symptoms of a listeria infection?
Symptoms typically start a week to four weeks after eating contaminated food. Symptoms typically include:
Who is most at risk from listeria?
The bacteria are most likely to sicken people who are pregnant and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
Listeriosis mostly affects pregnant women. About 1 in 6 cases of listeriosis are associated with pregnancy, according to the Florida Department of Health.
How can you avoid listeria?
Especially for those in high-risk groups, the CDC offers the following suggestions to avoid the listeria bacteria found in food. Do not eat:
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Unpasteurized soft cheeses, such as queso fresco and brie.
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Unheated cheeses sliced at a deli.
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Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages.
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Premade deli salads, such as coleslaw and potato, tuna, or chicken salad.
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Refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.
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Refrigerated smoked fish.
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Raw or lightly cooked sprouts.
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Cut melon left out for more than 2 hours. One hour if it’s exposed to temperatures hotter than 90 degrees.
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Cut melon in refrigerator for more than a week.
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Raw (unpasteurized) milk, yogurt, and ice cream.
Can listeria on food be killed?
Listeria is easily killed by heating food to a high enough temperature, the CDC said. Do not eat meats that have been sliced at any deli counter unless it is reheated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until steaming hot. Let it cool before you eat it.
Who is BrucePac?
BrucePac sells products to other companies “who resell, repackage, or use our products as ingredients in other foods.”
“Because we sell to other companies who resell, repackage, or use our products as ingredients in other foods, we do not have a list of retail products that contain our recalled items. Please visit the USDA’s product and labelinformation page for the establishment numbers on consumer packages.”
The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items involved in the recall were produced in Durant, Oklahoma, from May 31,2024, through October 8, 2024.
“After learning that ready-to-eat chicken tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, we stopped production and immediately recalled all products that may have been affected,” the company announced on its website.
Contributor: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today Network
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Recalled meat: BrucePac chicken sold Publix,Target, Walmart. Listeria
