Meat company recalls 10 million pounds of chicken because of listeria

A major meat packer has recalled nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat beef and poultry products because of concerns they are contaminated with listeria, according to the federal government.

BrucePac, the Durant, Okla.-based company whose brand names include Urban Bruce and City Grillers, said it is recalling 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat products manufactured from June 19 of this year through Oct. 8, according to the department were from the Food Safety and Inspection Service of Agriculture.

“These products were shipped to other establishments and distributors across the country and then distributed to restaurants and institutions,” the agency said Wednesday.

The USDA said it discovered the problem after conducting routine testing of poultry products. The tests returned a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes, a type of bacteria that causes infections and can lead to death in severe cases.

Food regulators investigated the matter further and determined that the bacteria were found in ready-to-eat chicken.

As of Thursday, there have been no confirmed reports of listeria infections caused by consumption of meat produced by BrucePac.

The USDA released a full list of recalled products.

“Restaurants, institutions and other establishments are encouraged not to serve or use these products,” the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday.

“These products should be thrown away or returned to the place where they were purchased.”

Meanwhile, a California-based cheese and dairy company was ordered by the government to halt production after an investigation found two deaths were caused by eating products contaminated with listeria.

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that Rizo-López Foods in Modesto, California, would cease operations.

The company, which specializes in Mexican cheese and other dairy products, previously operated under several brand names, including Don Francisco and La Mexicana.

In June 2014, a listeria outbreak resulted in the hospitalization of 23 people in 11 states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two of those people died.

The outbreak was traced to Rizo-López products.

According to the CDC, a California resident died from listeria in 2017. One additional death was reported in Texas in 2020.

In January, officials in Hawaii discovered traces of listeria in a sample of Rizo Brothers Aged Cotija — prompting the CDC and Food and Drug Administration to reopen their investigation.

The next month, the government announced a limited recall that was expanded to include more than 60 products sold nationwide.

Food safety has been in the headlines in recent weeks after one of the country's best-known deli brands was found to be contaminated with listeria.

At least 10 people and dozens more have fallen ill in 19 states due to a listeria outbreak that led to the closure of a large deli in Boar's Head, Virginia.

The plant has not been in operation since late July, when USDA officials suspended inspections and the company recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat because of possible contamination.