Almost 10 million pounds of meat have been recalled over fears they may be contaminated with listeria.
Oklahoma-based BrucePac is recalling 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products after routine testing conducted by the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service found contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes food poisoning.
Further investigation by the FSIS found that BrucePac’s ready-to-eat chicken was the source of the bacterium.
Impacted products were shipped to establishments and distributors nationwide, then distributed to restaurants and institutions. A full list of products impacted is not yet available; however. all affected items were produced from June 19, 2024 to October 8, 2024 and bear the establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection.
There have been no confirmed illnesses in relation to consuming the product reported so far, the FSIS has confirmed.
“Listeria is particularly dangerous as it can survive in refrigerators and freezers, and infected foods may not look, smell or taste different,” Michelle Anstey, a food safety expert from NSF, a public health and safety organization, told Newsweek. “When contaminated food is handled, illness can spread through human touch and lack of sanitation.
“These foodborne illnesses are dangerous in that they can have severe health impacts on people, including vomiting, diarrhea, fever and, in severe cases, brain infections and blood infections,” Anstey continued. “They can be especially dangerous for those who are immunocompromised, including pregnant women, children and older adults.”
The FDA says that symptoms can begin in the days and weeks following infection. Those with a less serious illness can experience a range of symptoms, including fever, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
If a more serious infection occurs, it can result in a headache, a stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion and convulsions. Some listeria infections need to be treated in hospital and can be life-threatening.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says around 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis each year, and about 260 of these individuals die. The CDC adds that listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness across the country.
A major recall of deli meat products was issued earlier this year due to listeria contamination. An outbreak of the bacterium at a factory producing Boar’s Head products resulted in 59 hospitalizations and 10 deaths.
Research conducted by regulatory compliance company Traceone this year found that bacterial contamination, which includes recalls made due to listeria, as well as other dangerous viruses such as salmonella and E. coli, is the second-most-common reason for recalls nationwide, accounting for 21 percent of all food withdrawals.