Nearly 10 Million Pounds Of Meat Have Been Recalled Due To Listeria Risk

Carnivores beware: BrucePac, a food processing company known for meat and poultry items in particular, has recalled just under 10 million pounds of meat due to contamination by listeria monocytogenes, which has contaminated deli meats. The recalled products in question were ready-to-eat meat and poultry items.

BrucePac's products were produced during the summer between June 19 and October 8, 2024, and have already made their way to restaurants, supermarkets, and other retail establishments around the United States. A complete list of affected products is not available at the time of this article's publishing, but items that contain establishment numbers 51205 or P-51205 fall under the list of affected products. Although several products have been tested and found to be affected, BrucePac's ready-to-eat chicken is the source of the bacteria outbreak. There are still no confirmed cases of listeria infection; this major recall hopes to prevent any instances from occurring in the future.

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacteria that can cause dangerous illness, particularly in pregnant women and babies as well as those older than 65 or who are immunocompromised. While it's curable with antibiotics, it can lead to serious health risks or even death if not treated. Listeria is often associated with meats, seafood, and dairy products such as milk and cheese, but it can also be found in a number of other foodstuffs.

This particular recall is quite severe, being labeled as an FDA class I recall, which means it is a severe health risk to consumers. This is the second time in recent months that a recall has been issued due to listeria, with packaged walnuts the culprit in August. Another major 2024 food recall also occurred in March due to the bacteria affecting Jen's Breakfast Burritos. Considering the seriousness of a listeria infection, if you have any BrucePac meat products in the house, your best bet is to stay safe and throw them out in order to avoid contamination from this terrible bacteria.