Almost 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken recalled due to listeria risk

BrucePaca producer of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, recalled more than 9.9 million pounds of product due to possible listeria contamination, the Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

The foods include products such as grilled chicken breast strips that were made at the company’s facility in Durant, Oklahoma. They were produced between June 19 and Oct. 8 and shipped to restaurants, food service providers and other locations across the country, government officials said.

However, heThe list of recalled products consists mainly of prepared salads, burritos and wraps that contain chicken, sometimes along with other meats, such as bacon or ham.

BrucePac, a producer of precooked meats and poultry, initiated the recall Wednesday after products tested by the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service returned positive results for the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

A subsequent investigation determined that The Oklahoma-based company’s ready-to-eat chicken was the source of the contamination, and BrucePac and the Department of Agriculture have since provided more information and updates on the affected products in particular.

Listeria infections pose the greatest risk to people who are older, have weakened immune systems, or are pregnant.

Listeriosis is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the US., according to the Food and Drug Administration. It is estimated that 1,600 people contract listeriosis each year and approximately 260 die from the disease. The infection is more likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults age 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms usually appear about two weeks after eating the contaminated food, although they can appear quite immediately or take up to ten weeks to appear. They usually include fever, muscle aches, headache, neck stiffness, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures.

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