Over concerns about Listeria contamination, USDA orders recall of approximately 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products.
Rewritten Article:
In a nutshell, the USDA declared a whopping 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria on their website last Wednesday. The evil science behind this mishap? It's all traced back to BrucePac, an Oklahoma-based meat producing beast. But here's the kicker – the recall doesn't give a hoot about specific product names to avoid. Yep, you read that right. So, if you're navigating the supermarket aisles right now, you're basically in a blindfolded tango with contaminated meat.
If you're still wondering what BrucePac is all about, lemme fill you in. They specialize in creating "custom-crafted, pre-cooked proteins" for the big shots in the retail sector, foodservice operators, and other channels. But don't expect a clear cut answer on what consumers should be keeping an eye out for. The USDA's recall doesn't exactly offer a silver bullet for the average consumer. However, it does advise to look for the establishment numbers '51205 or P-51205' inside or under the USDA mark of inspection.
On their website, BrucePac divulges some of their clients, like Urban Bruce and City Grillers. Yet, it's a mystery whether these specific brands are part of the recalled meat. The company also dabbles in meat production for private labels, which means there could be other brands stocked in retailers with listeria, but we're still in the dark about these potential culprits.
The food production spanned from June 19, 2024 to October 8, 2024, which is rather unsettling given that the latter date was just yesterday. In an attempt to find a spark of clarity, Gizmodo reached out to both the USDA and BrucePac but hasn't heard squat back yet (officially, at least). [Update: And whoa, the USDA has finally published a gargantuan list of recalled products that's hundreds of pages long. But guess what? It's still being updated.]
Thankfully, the recall states that there haven't been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions stemming from consumption of the recalled products. Yet, it's still unclear how the average consumer can protect themselves without more information about the precise products being dragged into this mess.
The listeria was detected after the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducted routine product testing of BrucePac's poultry products – and they tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a serious bug that can cause severe illness in medically vulnerable and pregnant people.
According to the recall, "[FSIS] is concerned that some product may be available for use in restaurants, institutions, and other establishments...restaurants, institutions, and other establishments are urged not to serve or use these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."
Listeria has been wreaking havoc lately, like in the Boar's Head recall that saw over 7 million pounds of meat recalled due to listeria detection. That listeria outbreak has led to at least 59 hospitalizations in 19 states and 10 deaths, according to the CDC. Top Democrats are even demanding a criminal investigation, as Boar's Head shut down one meat plant in Virginia permanently and promised to implement stricter health and safety measures.
Keep your eyes peeled for updates from Gizmodo as we await a response from the USDA or BrucePac to shed more light on the recalled meat and poultry products consumers should dodge.
- Despite the widespread recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products potentially contaminated with listeria, it remains unclear how consumers can protect themselves without more specific information about the products being affected.
- The tech-savvy might want to check the establishment numbers '51205 or P-51205' inside or under the USDA mark of inspection, as these numbers are associated with BrucePac, the company behind the controversial recall.
- As we tread into 2024, it's disconcerting to know that the production of recalled meat and poultry products spanned from June 19, 2024 to October 8, 2024, with the latter date being just yesterday.
- In the realm of future tech and technology, we might even see the emergence of labs producing safe, listeria-free meat, offering a promising alternative to the traditional meat industry that's currently grappling with such contamination issues.
