10 Million Pounds of Meat and Poultry Recalled Over Listeria Contamination

Roughly 75 different ready-to-eat meat and chicken products distributed nationwide may be contaminated with a lethal foodborne bacteria.

Federal health officials are warning individuals to immediately stop consuming dozens of different recalled meat and poultry products, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a BrucePac meat and poultry recall on October 9, after routine product testing determined that listeria may be present in approximately 9,986,245 pounds of certain ready-to-eat products, which may cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.

Listeria food poisoning can lead to severe infections, especially in children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may experience short-term symptoms, including fever, headaches, stiffness, abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea from Listeria monocytogenes infections, while pregnant women may suffer more severe consequences, including miscarriages and stillbirths.

While no illnesses or hospitalizations have been reported in relation to the recall, officials are warning the products could still be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.

The meat and poultry recall comes just as a massive Boar’s Head deli meat recall over listeria contamination begins to slow down, following at least 10 deaths and more than 55 hospitalizations.

BrucePac Beef and Chicken Recall Over Listeria

According to a Class I recall notice from the FSIS, routine testing revealed that ready-to-eat beef and chicken products manufactured by BrucePac were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Further investigations by the FSIS traced the source of the contamination back to BrucePac’s ready-to-eat chicken products.

The FSIS released a detailed list of recalled BrucePac ready-to-eat meat and poultry items, which includes approximately 75 different chicken or beef products that were produced from June 19, 2024 to October 8, 2024.

The recalled products are marked with establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” within or beneath the USDA inspection seal, and were initially shipped to distributors and establishments across the country. These items were then sold to consumers at various restaurants and institutions nationwide.

While no illnesses or hospitalizations have been reported in relation to the recall, the FSIS is warning that some of the recalled meat and poultry may still be in use at restaurants, institutions and other establishments.

These places may have incorporated the affected products into ready-to-eat items that could now be on store shelves or in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. The FSIS strongly urges these establishments not to serve or use these products. They should either dispose of them or return them to the point of purchase.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms for up to 70 days after exposure. If symptoms of Listeria infection develop, the person should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Individuals that have questions regarding the recall can contact Jeff Golangco, VP of Business Development at BrucePac, at 503-874-3000. Customers with food safety questions can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or email MPHotline@usda.gov.

To report a problem with meat, poultry or egg products, the online Electronic Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.