Nationwide recall: 12 million pounds of precooked chicken

BrucePac, a ready-to-eat meat and poultry processing facility in Durant, Oklahoma, is involved in a nationwide recall of 12 million pounds of meat and poultry products sold at major grocery chains and other retailers. These products may be contaminated with Listeria, a potentially fatal pathogen. Here's what you should look for on the labels, where you may have purchased the products, and what to do if you have purchased or consumed any recalled BrucePac products.

'Ready-to-eat' meat and poultry products possibly contaminated with Listeria

Meat and poultry products processed by BrucePac between May 31, 2024, and October 8, 2024, are being recalled for possible Listeria contamination discovered by the USDA during a routine inspection of finished poultry products. Cooked chicken is suspected as the source of this Listeria contamination; so far, no adverse health events have been reported.

The recall involves nearly 12 million pounds of "ready-to-eat" meat and poultry products, a broad category of packaged foods that includes salads and wraps, deli items, and hot or frozen meals containing precooked meat or poultry. BrucePac sells such items to distributors, like grocery stores and gas stations, with pre-cooked poultry and meat. The recalled products include chicken, turkey, and pork products processed by BrucePac.

Recalled products: Where you might have bought them

The 11,765,285 pounds of BrucePac meat and poultry products are packaged foods marked with establishment numbers "51205 or P-51205" inside or under the USDA mark of inspection. This ready-to-eat chicken is included in an array of products from the following retailers:

7-Eleven, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Kitchen, Atkins, Bell & Evans, Boston Market, Central Eats, Dole, Eat!, El Monterey, Fresh Express, Fusia, Giant Eagle, Gordon Choice, Good & Gather, Great Value, H-E-B, HMS, Home Chef, Jenny Craig, KitchenMate, Kroger, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, Meijer, Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods, Michelina’s, Mom’s Meals, RaceTrac, Raley’s, Ready Meals, Red's, Save Mart, Signature Select, Taylor Farms, Trader Joe’s, Udi’s, Wegmans, and Whitsons.

Which products are being recalled?

A 343-page list of products and their packaging is available from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Because BrucePac is a supplier for many large retailers, there are dozens of brands and a wide array of products involved. These include packaged, prepared salads with precooked chicken sold at Kroger, Trader Joe's, Target, Wegmans, H-E-B, 7-Eleven, and Giant Eagle. 

Some brands of frozen meals, including ReadyMeals, Rao's, El Monterey, Atkins, Signature Select, Boston Market, Amazon Fresh, Michelina's, and Great Value, all containing precooked chicken, are affected by the recall, as well.

Additionally, some foods that fall under the FDA's regulation because they don’t contain very much USDA-inspected meat are being voluntarily recalled as part of this investigation. Reser’s Fine Foods, the parent brand of Bistro 28 and Don Pancho meal kits, is recalling specific meal kits as listed in the FDA's recall announcement.

Schools often purchase packaged foods from vendors that are not part of the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs; schools in 18 states have purchased recalled ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. 

What to do with recalled BrucePac products

If you suspect you have purchased a recalled product, check the packaging for the numbers "51205 or P-51205" inside or under the USDA mark. For more information and a complete product list at the time of this article's publication, see the FSIS Distribution List for Recall 028-2024. Updates will be published to the FSIS recall alert as they are released.

If you have recalled products, throw them away or return them to the store of purchase. Consumers with questions can contact Jeff Golangco, VP of Business Development at BrucePac, at 503-874-3000. 

Why is Listeria so dangerous?

Listeria is a type of bacteria naturally occurring in soil, but can live in environments ranging from acidic to salty, in high and low temperatures, and in low moisture. Because of that, Listeria can survive for a very long time, making it particularly hard to wipe out outbreaks. The bacteria can spread via contaminated foods to surfaces and equipment, where it can then spread to other foods.

Although it is rare, Listeria infection is one of the leading causes of death from foodborne illnesses. Listeria contamination is responsible for listeriosis, the hard-to-diagnose infection that can cause preterm labor, stillbirth, or miscarriage in pregnant people, who are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other people. Listeriosis can also cause symptoms like fever, headache, flu-like symptoms like muscle aches and fatigue, and stiff neck. The infection primarily strikes older adults, pregnant people, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems.

Another thing that makes Listeria dangerous is that, unlike some other food pathogens that cause food poisoning, Listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures. Accordingly, cold storage does not prevent the risk of contamination, although reheating to 165 degrees can kill the bacteria.

Some typical sources of Listeria in foods include raw milk, cheeses made with raw milk, soft cheeses, deli meats, raw sprouts, melon, and smoked fish.

How can you protect against Listeria contamination?

To protect your health, an important first step is to scan your kitchen for any products that are on the recalled list of potentially contaminated Boar’s Head items. Consumers are advised to avoid eating and to throw away or return any recalled products, as well as to thoroughly disinfect any surfaces or containers that could have touched the potentially contaminated items.

People with heightened risk levels, such as people with weakened immune systems, who are pregnant, or who are 65 years old or older, should take additional precautions. For example, high-risk individuals are advised to eat only precooked and deli meats that have been reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, to clean surfaces or containers that could have touched any cooked or deli meat products, and to contact their health care providers if any symptoms of listeriosis arise.

Some other tips to avoid Listeria contamination include avoiding raw milk and raw sprouts, seeking out pasteurized milk in the ingredients list of soft cheeses like brie and Camembert, and refrigerating cut melon for no more than a week.

Support CSPI’s efforts to protect food safety

CSPI pushes for policies to keep our food supply free of dangerous pathogens, fight antibiotic resistance in the food chain, control and label allergens, and curb the use of synthetic dyes and poorly tested additives. We led the fight for national legislation that promises safer produce, and whole and processed foods that are regulated by the FDA. You can support our efforts to foster a safer food system today.