WASHINGTON (WKBN) – Millions of pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are being recalled, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The agency said the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
BrucePac, an establishment from Durant, Oklahoma, produced the products, which were shipped to distributors nationwide and then “distributed to restaurants and institutions,” according to an alert from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Information regarding product labels and the list of products will be provided when available.
The USDA said approximately 9.9 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products are affected. The alert says that the products carry the establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205.”
The agency encouraged restaurants and establishments not to serve the recalled products.
The USDA said listeria was detected during product testing. The source was identified as ready-to-eat BrucePac chicken.
The alert states that there have been no confirmed reports or cases of adverse reactions, and that customers should contact a healthcare provider if they have questions about possible infection.
The USDA said eating contaminated food may result in a listeria infection, which can have serious or even fatal consequences for the most at-risk groups, which include seniors, pregnant people (and their newborns) and those with weakened immune systems.
“Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms,” the USDA wrote in the alert.
Anyone with questions can contact Jeff Golangco, the vice president of business development at BrucePac, at 503-874-3000. Consumers with food safety questions can call the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.