According to News Week, School children may be at risk of listeria infection following the recall of nearly 12 million pounds of contaminated meat and poultry products, as announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday. The meat in question has been distributed to various schools across the country.
Expanded Recall Details
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has indicated that the recall involves more meat than initially reported, increasing from 10 million pounds to almost 12 million pounds. The affected products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that poses serious health risks, particularly for older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their babies.
The FSIS classified the recall as a Class I risk, defined as “a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
Source of Contamination
The recall was prompted after routine testing by the FSIS discovered listeria in a product containing ready-to-eat chicken supplied by BrucePac, an Oregon-based company. Further investigations confirmed that the contaminated chicken was indeed the source of the listeria.
BrucePac provides meat and poultry products to a variety of establishments, including retailers, restaurants, schools, and grocery stores, many of which use these products in prepared meals.
Affected Schools and Retail Locations
While details about specific schools and the number of affected institutions have not yet been released, the FSIS has provided information regarding the retail locations involved in the recall. The agency strongly advises that any recalled products should not be consumed but instead be discarded or returned to the point of purchase.
Health Risks of Listeriosis
Listeria is a strain of bacteria responsible for listeriosis, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies as the third leading cause of death from foodborne illnesses in the U.S., accounting for approximately 260 fatalities annually.
Symptoms of listeriosis typically appear within 24 hours of consuming contaminated food and may include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. However, symptoms can take weeks to manifest and may extend beyond the gastrointestinal tract, leading to fever, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
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Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable, as listeriosis can cause severe complications, including miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery, or life-threatening infections in newborns.
Product Information and Additional Recalls
The recalled products were produced by BrucePac between May 31, 2024, and October 8, 2024, at their Oklahoma facility and subsequently distributed nationwide. The affected meat products may display establishment numbers 51205 or P-51205 within or beneath the USDA mark of inspection. However, the FSIS has clarified that some recalled products may have different establishment numbers depending on distribution and processing.
Major grocery chains such as Walmart, Kroger, Target, Amazon Fresh, Aldi, and Trader Joe’s are included in the recall, according to recent reports from Newsweek. The FSIS has released a comprehensive list of affected products in a 345-page searchable document, complete with product label images to assist consumers in identifying safe items.
In addition, a separate recall was issued for Reser’s Fine Foods taco kits, which used BrucePac as a supplier.
Newsweek has reached out to BrucePac and the FSIS for further comments on the situation.
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