LEast contamination led to multi-state recalls of deli meats this summer. Now, more ready-to-eat meat products are being recalled over listeria concerns, this time affecting nearly 10 million pounds of meat, including products sold under the Trader Joe’s and Fresh Express brands.
Oklahoma-based meat company BrucePac has recalled more than 9.9 million pounds of meat and poultry products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The recall was initially issued on Wednesday but was updated yesterday to include more affected products.
The meat was produced between June 19, 2024, and October 8, 2024, and shipped to restaurants and institutions across the country. All affected products have establishment number “51205 or P-51205” printed inside or below the USDA inspection mark.
Potentially contaminated products include Trader Joe’s Lemon Chicken and Arugula Salad, Fresh Express Chicken Caesar Salad, HEB Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole, Marketside Southwest Chicken Salad and more. (FSIS provides a complete list of recalled products online.)
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FSIS said it discovered the problem after routine product testing of finished meat produced by BrucePac. These products tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria causes a potentially fatal infection called listeriosis that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and newborns. Listeriosis can cause symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headache, neck stiffness, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, according to FSIS. In pregnant women, it can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, or life-threatening infections in the newborn. Listeriosis can usually be treated with antibiotics.
FSIS said some of the affected products may be available for use in restaurants and other establishments, on store shelves, or in home refrigerators and freezers.
FSIS says if you have these products in your home, be sure to throw them away or return them from where you purchased them for a refund. If you think or know that you have eaten one of the recalled products, FSIS recommends that you monitor yourself for listeria symptoms for two months. If you are considered at high risk for infection, seek treatment immediately if you develop flu-like symptoms and tell your health care provider that you ate contaminated food.
