Listeria contamination caused a multistate recall of deli meat this summer. Now, more ready-to-eat meat products are being recalled due to listeria—and this time, nearly 10 million pounds of meat are affected, 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 originally issued on Wednesday, but was updated yesterday to include even more affected products.
The meats were produced from June 19, 2024, to October 8, 2024 and shipped nationwide to restaurants and institutions. All of the affected products have the establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” printed inside or under the USDA mark of inspection.
Potentially contaminated products include Trader Joe’s Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad, Fresh Express Chicken Caesar Salad, HEB Chicken Broccoli & Rice Casserole, Marketside Southwest Style Salad with Chicken, and more. (FSIS has a full list of the recalled products online.)
FSIS says the issue was discovered after the agency conducted a routine product testing of finished meats produced by BrucePac. Those products tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria can cause a potentially fatal infection called listeriosis that primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant people, and newborns. Listeriosis can cause symptoms like fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, per FSIS. In pregnant people, it can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in newborns. Listeriosis can usually be treated with antibiotics.
FSIS says that some of the affected products may be available for use in restaurants and other establishments, on store shelves, or in home refrigerators and freezers.
If you have these products at home, FSIS says it’s important to throw them away or return them from where you purchased them for a refund. If you think or know you ate one of the recalled products, FSIS recommends monitoring yourself for symptoms of listeriosis for two months. If you’re considered high risk for the infection, seek immediate care if you develop flu-like symptoms and tell the healthcare provider that you ate contaminated food.
