For those who consume ready to eat meat or wrappered poultry products, it would be prudent to cross-check the stocks in the fridge as BrucePac, a meat packing firm based in Oklahoma, is recalling more than 10 million pounds of meat and poultry. The products may be contaminated by bacteria called listeria monocytogenes which can lead to listeriosis disease which is of high risk. The recall which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made, was published in November 2024 and covers the orders made from June 19 and October 8, 2024.
Reason being, the recall is the number of products involved which cut across a huge geographic region. The FDA estimates that these products were sent to facilities and distributors in all fifty states who then distributed them to restaurants and other institutions throughout America. If you have any BrucePac product, inspect the product for establishment numbers “51205” or “P-51205” beside the USDA mark, for ease in recall determination. There is additional information in regards to information pertinent to other product specific codes on the FDA and FSIS websites.
The identification came about following the routine activities of Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS). They noted that several products of BrucePac gave Listeria monocytogenes positive results, thus they began to look into the issue. The FSIS investigation also determined that BrucePac ready to eat chicken products were the cause of the contamination. To date, however, health authorities have not associated any episodes of listeriosis with the affected meat, which is why this recall is of concern given that listeriosis poses a high risk to some people.
Listeriosis is an infectious disease that predominantly affects older individuals, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, and infants. In individuals affected by this disease, the symptoms vary from fever and muscle pains to more serious conditions characterized by headache, disorientation, and stomach disorders. In pregnant women, listeriosis can result in loss of pregnancy or labor, preterm birth or even stillbirth. And the symptoms are not necessarily immediate after the consumption of the contaminated food; in fact, the symptoms can develop for days, weeks even.
For this reason, if you think you have ingested any of the recalled products, try to keep an eye on your health as much as possible. Even if you are not in the high-risk group it is always better to be safe. In case you have any of such products at home which the FSIS has listed, you should either get rid of those or take them back to the store you bought them from.
Listeria contamination poses a risk as it can multiply even at refrigerator temperatures. To reduce the risks of foodborne diseases, the FSIS and FDA urge us to always observe food safety practices like proper cooking of the food and appropriate storage of reactive foods.
If you have any questions regarding the recall and are in need of assistance, BrucePac has made this available. For fear of contact issues please view the business development vice president of the company, Jeff Golangco, on 503-874-3000. It is always good to keep in touch and practice food safety especially in notices where listeria – a possible bacteria present within the food is mentioned.
