Listeria recall expands to nearly 12 million pounds of meat, hits US schools

By Shafiq Najib

A recall from meat producer BrucePac has grown to nearly 12 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry items due to possible listeria contamination, after the company, which is based in Durant, Oklahoma, recalled over 9 million pounds of products last week.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued an announcement on Oct. 15 sharing new details about an expansion of the earlier Oct. 9 BrucePac recall to include additional products and production dates, adding that some of the items were sent to U.S. schools.

"Details of this release were updated to note the addition of 1,779,040 pounds of product subject to recall, increasing the weight from 9,986,245 to 11,765,285 pounds," the announcement read. "This recall release has also been updated to reflect that recalled products were also distributed to schools. A school distribution list is not available at this time."

The updated recall impacts hundreds of products such as prepared salads, burritos and other foods sold at stores including Costco, Trader Joe's, Target, Walmart and Kroger.

BrucePac initially recalled approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were produced from June 19, 2024, to Oct. 8, 2024, according to an Oct. 9 announcement from the FSIS.

The agency said at the time it discovered the issue after conducting routine FSIS product testing of finished poultry products, which came back positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

Further investigation determined BrucePac ready-to-eat chicken as the source of the contamination. FSIS also added that there have been no confirmed reports of illnesses so far.

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Impacted products that are subject to recall from the Oct. 9 announcement bear establishment numbers "51205 or P-51205" inside or under the USDA mark of inspection. A full list of recalled items can be found here.

FSIS officials cautioned in an Oct. 11 update that "some of the recalled products could bear a different establishment number on the label due to further distribution and processing by other establishments."

"Consumers are urged to carefully review the information, including the product and label information, included in the BrucePac Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Recall Press Release," the agency stated at the time.

ABC News reached out to BrucePac for comment on the recall but did not hear back.

Consuming food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can cause a rare but serious infection known as listeriosis. The infection can progress to invasive listeriosis, which occurs when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of severe illness usually begin one to four weeks after eating contaminated food but can present as early as the same day, or as late as 70 days later, the CDC says.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis annually in the U.S. and about 260 people die from it, according to the CDC. Those most at risk of infection include pregnant people and newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems.

Those who are not pregnant are likely to experience symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, stiff neck, confusion or loss of balance. Those who are pregnant are likely to experience a fever and flu-like symptoms.

The CDC recommends those at higher risk of listeriosis to avoid eating meat sliced at deli counters unless heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or until steaming hot just before serving. The agency also recommends calling your health care provider if you have symptoms of listeriosis and recently ate meat sliced at a deli counter.