WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is currently working on identifying all recalled BrucePac meat and poultry products that were distributed to customers, including those purchased by schools.
The agency has published a preliminary list of schools that received the recalled ready-to-eat (RTE) products. FSIS noted that the products were not part of the USDA’s National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. The list of schools along with the recalled product list will continue to be updated as FSIS discovers more information.
Only a couple of days ago, the agency announced an additional 1,779,040 lbs of recalled product, bringing the total to 11,765,285 lbs. This was the second announcement of an extension to the recall list since the situation was first made public on Oct. 9.
Initially, 9,986,245 lbs of RTE BrucePac items produced at the company’s Durant, Okla., facility were recalled due to concerns of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
FSIS discovered the problem after performing routine product testing of finished product containing RTE poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed those products positive for Listeria. A subsequent FSIS investigation identified BrucePac RTE chicken as the source of the Listeria detection.
Products associated with the recall range from RTE poultry, frozen meals, prepared foods, prepared salads, salad kits and others.
Retailers such as Walmart Inc., Target Corp., the Kroger Co., Raley’s and Trader Joe’s source private label prepared meals from BrucePac that are included in the recall. Other brands impacted by the recall include Atkins, Boston Market, Jenny Craig, Michelina’s, Red’s, Taylor Farms, Udi’s and many others.
Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, Ore., initiated a recall of several meal kits that may contain the recalled meat. Similarly, Albertsons Co., Boise, Idaho, initiated a similar recall of meal kits and store-made deli items, according to the company, as well as some products sold under the retailer’s Signature Select private brand.
There have still been no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the recalled products.