A recall of almost 10 million pounds of BrucePac ready-to-eat meat and poultry products is underway.
The possibility of Listeria monocytogenes contamination prompted the Oklahoma-based company’s recall of the 9,986,245 total pounds of various products, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said in a Wednesday alert published to its website.
It also posted about the BrucePac recall on its verified X page.
The FSIS said food adulterated with that bacteria can cause an infection called listeriosis that "primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune system, and pregnant women and their newborns." Listeriosis can be "rare, but serious," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
People that come down with the infection can potentially experience symptoms such as "fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms," the FSIS said.
No instances of people suffering adverse reactions from the BrucePac products have arisen.
The FSIS said distributors across the country received shipments of the potentially contaminated meat and poultry products and subsequently disseminated them to "restaurants and institutions."
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Under the recall, the establishment numbers were "51205" or "P-5120."
"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 FSIS said in the alert.
The possible listeria contamination was "discovered after FSIS performed routine product testing of finished product containing RTE poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed those products positive for Listeria monocytogenes," according to the agency.
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Production of the recalled BrucePac occurred in a 3.5-month span between June 19 and Oct. 8, per the FSIS.
"Food safety always has been, and always will be, a top priority," BrucePac says on its website.
