BrucePac recall: Nearly 10 million pounds of meat recalled due to listeria concerns

CNN
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BrucePac, a maker of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, has recalled more than 9.9 million pounds of product due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.

Dozens of the recalled products were distributed to restaurants and institutions nationwide. The affected products may have been used in ready-to-eat products that are “on store shelves or in consumers' refrigerators or freezers” or available for use in restaurants and other establishments, the USDA said.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service discovered the problem during routine product testing of finished poultry products, the federal agency said. The source of the listeria was identified as ready-to-eat chicken from BrucePac, which may have infected other ready-to-eat meat and poultry products manufactured from June 19 to October 8.

Listeria bacteria cause listeriosis, the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the United States. Symptoms may include fever, muscle pain and fatigue. An infection can also cause neck stiffness, headaches, confusion, or seizures. Older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk for serious consequences.

To date, there have been “no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products,” the USDA said Wednesday. However, some sick people recover without being tested for listeria, and it usually takes weeks for an illness to be linked to an outbreak. It can take up to 10 weeks for symptoms of a listeria infection to appear.

“Restaurants, institutions and other establishments are urged not to offer or use these products. “These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” the USDA said. “Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.”

This recall follows a deadly listeria outbreak linked to recalled Boar's Head deli meat, the nation's largest in more than a decade. There have been 59 hospitalizations and 10 deaths since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began an investigation in July.