Nationwide meat recall due to fears of listeria contamination

Nearly 10 million pounds of meat have been recalled over fears of Listeria contamination.

Oklahoma-based BrucePac is recalling 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products after contamination was detected during routine U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service testing Listeria monocytogenesa bacteria that causes food poisoning.

Further investigation by FSIS determined that BrucePac's ready-to-eat chicken was the source of the bacteria.

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The affected products were shipped to businesses and retailers nationwide and then distributed to restaurants and institutions. A complete list of affected products is not yet available; However. All affected items were manufactured between June 19, 2024 and October 8, 2024 and bear company numbers “51205 or P-51205” within or below the USDA inspection mark.

To date, there have been no confirmed reported illnesses associated with consumption of the product, FSIS has confirmed.

“Listeria is particularly dangerous because it can survive in refrigerators and freezers, and infected foods may not look, smell or taste any different,” said Michelle Anstey, a food safety expert at NSF, a public health and safety organization Newsweek. “When handling contaminated food, diseases can be transmitted through human contact and poor hygiene.

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“These food-borne illnesses are dangerous in that they can have serious effects on people’s health, including vomiting, diarrhea, fever and, in severe cases, brain and blood infections,” Anstey continued. “They can be particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women, children and older adults.”

The FDA says symptoms may appear in the days and weeks after infection. Less serious illnesses can cause a range of symptoms, including fever, muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

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If a more serious infection occurs, it can cause headaches, a stiff neck, loss of balance, confusion, and convulsions. Some listeria infections require hospital treatment and can be life-threatening.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1,600 people in the U.S. get listeriosis each year, and about 260 of those people die. The CDC adds that listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses nationwide.

There was a major recall of gourmet meat products earlier this year due to listeria contamination. An outbreak of the bacteria at a factory that makes Boar's Head products resulted in 59 hospitalizations and 10 deaths.

Research this year by compliance firm Traceone found that bacterial contamination, which includes recalls 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.