USDA: Nearly 10M pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry recalled due to listeria concerns
As of Friday evening, more than 75 items published on the USDA’s website are of concern.
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Nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry manufactured by BrucePac are being recalled due to possible listeria contamination. In New Jersey, products sold at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Aldi and Trader Joe’s are impacted.
As of Friday evening, more than 75 items published on the USDA’s website are of concern. This includes salads, pastas, wraps and ready-to-eat vegetable meals containing chicken, as well as turkey wraps.
“If you’re having a recall on items, I think that you should just pull it all from everywhere, all of the stores if it’s becoming an issue, said shopper Sherry Brazzil.
According to the USDA, the issue was discovered during routine testing. According to the statement, there haven’t been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products.
“You really wonder why are there so many [recalls] and what’s going on with the people who produce these things,” said shopper Susan London. “I think the fault is with the manufacturers and I’m wondering why suddenly there are so many at once.“
The BrucePac recall is coming on the heels of the recent listeria outbreak connected to Boar’s Head, which has claimed the lives of 10 and hospitalized 59 people.
Brazzil, a vegetarian, said recalls like this helped contribute to her reason for changing her diet more than 10 years ago.
“It’s always something,” said Brazzil. “They have recalls on vegetables too, so I can’t just say it’s meat, but if you’re having an issue with certain things, I think you should go to the root of the problem.”
According to the USDA, the ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced from June 19 to Oct. 8.
“It makes you stop and think about what you’re buying. Especially meat,” said Julie Toigo. “I hesitate to buy it so I turned a little bit vegetarian.”
According to the USDA release, the BrucePac items were sent to establishments and distributors throughout the country and then distributed to restaurants and institutions.
Eating contaminated food can lead to Listeriosis. Symptoms to look for include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.
MORE: Recall List
A few New Jersey schools received some of the products recalled. Click here for a list of the schools.
