Here’s What We Know About the Latest Major Meat Recall

An Oklahoma establishment recalled nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat beef and poultry due to possible listeria contamination, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced. In an update to the announcement, it was revealed that food items from well-known brands, such as Trader Joe’s, Kroger, 7-Eleven, Amazon Kitchen and more, are a part of the recall. 

The products were distributed by BrucePac, which has a processing facility in Durant, Oklahoma, to restaurants and institutions across the US. Although a full product list was previously shared, which included various types of grilled chicken, beef patties, beef fajita strips and more, additional products and label information has since been added that could have been purchased by customers at an array of grocery stores.  

“Consumers are urged to carefully review the information,” the FSIS added to their original announcement. 

The updated list can be found here. It contains burritos, pastas, various rice meals and more. These items were sold at Walmart, Trader Joe’s and various other chain stores. Approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat was recalled, but at this time, there have been no reports of illness in connection with the recall. 

In a press release from BrucePac, the company stated, “Because we sell to other companies who resell, repackage or use our products as ingredients in other foods, we do not have a list of retail products that contain our recalled items.”

The company urges consumers to instead visit the FSIS website for updated product lists “or call the company on the packaging or the retail location from which you purchased the products,” if you believe you may have an affected product. 

The FSIS urges everyone to check if they have any of the listed products and throw them away immediately or return them to where they were purchased from. 

Read more: The Wave of Recalls, Explained

What is listeria? 

Listeria is a bacteria that can cause listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness. Pregnant women and the elderly are at an increased risk of having serious symptoms in connection with the illness. 

Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion and gastrointestinal distress. For high-risk individuals, the illness can cause death. According to the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant women are 10 to 13 times more likely to get listeriosis than others.