Schoolchildren may be at risk of listeria infection linked to the recall of millions of pounds of contaminated meat and poultry, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday that the meat had been distributed to schools .
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) also said the recall affected nearly 12 million pounds of meat, instead of the previously reported 10 million pounds.
Recalled products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenesa bacteria that can cause a serious or even fatal infection in some people, especially older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their babies.
FSIS has assigned the recall its highest risk level: Class I, which its website defines as “a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will result in serious and adverse consequences.” for health, even death.
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The recall was initially announced after FSIS discovered listeria during routine testing of a product containing ready-to-eat chicken, supplied by Oregon-based BrucePac, and further investigation confirmed that the chicken was the source of the contamination.
BrucePac supplies meat and poultry products to a variety of retailers, brands and establishments, including restaurants, schools and stores, many of which use these products in prepared foods.
FSIS expressed concern that these products could be found in schools, restaurants and other institutions, as well as in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers.
Which schools, and how many, might be affected by the recall are not yet available, but FSIS has released information on affected retail outlets.
FSIS insists that recalled products not be served, but discarded or returned to the place of purchase.
Listeria is a strain of bacteria that can cause listeriosis infection, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed as the third leading cause of foodborne illness deaths in the United States, responsible for approximately 260 deaths each year.
Symptoms of listeriosis usually appear within 24 hours of eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
However, it can take weeks for the infection to appear and spread beyond the intestine, causing more symptoms such as fever, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.
Listeriosis can cause complications during pregnancy, including miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the baby.
The affected products were manufactured by BrucePac between May 31, 2024 and October 8, 2024 at BrucePac’s Oklahoma facility, after which they were distributed throughout the United States for sale, service or use in other products .
Recalled meats may have establishment numbers 51205 or P-51205 within or below the USDA inspection mark, but FSIS clarified Friday that some recalled products may have different establishment numbers, depending on how they were distributed and transformed.
News week recently reported that the recall affected a number of major grocery chains, including Walmart, Kroger, Target, Amazon Fresh, Aldi and Trader Joe’s.
FSIS has released a comprehensive list of affected products: a searchable 345-page document, with photos of product labels and additional information allowing customers to verify whether a product is safe.
A separate recall of Reser’s Fine Foods taco kits was also announced earlier this week because the company used BrucePac as a supplier.
News week has contacted BrucePac and FSIS for comment.
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