Listeria fears spread to schools and even more products as the BrucePac meat-and-poultry recall keeps getting worse

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has expanded a major recall of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that was announced last week and is associated with BrucePac, a national supplier with facilities in Oklahoma.

The update adds 1.8 million pounds of potentially contaminated products, bringing the total to 11.8 million pounds. Importantly, the USDA now says some of the recalled products have been distributed to schools.

“A school distribution list is not available at this time,” the update says. “When available, the distribution list will be posted on the FSIS recalls website.”

Fast Company will provide an update of potentially impact schools when the information becomes available.

Why is this recall so serious?

As we reported last week—and then again on Monday with an updated list of impacted products—the recall is linked to Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause an infection called listeriosis, which can be especially serious for older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. Listeria infections can be fatal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a list of potential symptoms of listeria infection on its website.

Which brands and products are impacted by this recall?

The list of recalled products continues to grow, according to the USDA’s latest update. It includes ready-to-eat items from brands such as:

• Trader Joe’s
• Boston Market
• Jenny Craig
• Atkins
• 7-Eleven
• Kroger
• many more

FSIS has updated its guidance to help consumers locate affected products through a PDF document, which is searchable using your computer’s Command+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) features.

Consumers are urged to discard of any identifying products they may have in their homes. (BrucePac also has an FAQ document on its website related to the recall.) This latest expansion emphasizes the need for vigilance to prevent potential illness linked to Listeria contamination.