BrucePac has initiated a recall of approximately 9.9 million pounds of products due to potential contamination with listeria monocytogenes.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the recall, which affects items produced between 19 June and 8 October 2024.
These products are said to have been distributed to restaurants and institutions across the US.
The recalled ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry items bear establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection.
The contamination was uncovered during routine product testing by the FSIS, the agency said. Listeria monocytogenes was found in finished products containing RTE poultry from BrucePac, it added.
While no adverse reactions have been reported, listeriosis – the infection caused by consuming listeria-contaminated food – poses a significant health risk, particularly to older adults with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women.
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Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and severe complications such as miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.
The FSIS has expressed concern some of the recalled items may still be in use within institutions, restaurants and possibly available on store shelves or in consumers’ homes.
In a statement, the FSIS said: “Restaurants, institutions, and other establishments are urged not to serve or use these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”
The recall follows other recent high-profile listeria-related incidents in the US. Earlier this week, Rizo Lopez Foods, a US cheesemaker at the centre of a listeria scare, was forced to end production at its California facility.
The US District Court for the Eastern District of California entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against the Modesto-based company and its co-owners, Edwin Rizo and Tomas Rizo, after an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The FDA/CDC probe identified 26 illnesses, which occurred across 11 states and included 23 hospitalisations. Two individuals subsequently died. Four individuals were pregnant, including one who suffered a pregnancy loss.
Last month, US business Boar’s Head said it was closing its liverwurst manufacturing plant in Jarratt where a listeria outbreak caused the deaths of nine people.
Recalls were initiated at the Virginia facility in July as deli meats produced at the site were linked to listeria, which the CDC has said caused 59 consumers to be hospitalised across 19 US states.
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