USDA Issues Warning Over Massive Recall: Nearly 10 Million Pounds of Meat and Poultry at Risk for Listeria Contamination

Almost 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry are being recalled due to potential Listeria contamination, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Tuesday.

BrucePac, a ready-made meat producer, voluntarily recalled 9,986,245 pounds of their ready-to-eat proteins produced from June 19 to Oct. 8 and shipped nationwide to other food institutions and distributors.

These distributors sent the affected meat to restaurants and businesses—meaning contaminated products could be on store shelves or in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers, FSIS warned.

The USDA has listed the nationwide recall as class 1, with the highest risk of adverse health effects.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the recalled meat and poultry, FSIS said.

The FSIS updated its food safety alert Wednesday for the massive BrucePac recall. More than 70 items with best-by dates from June 19, 2025 to Oct. 8, 2025 are included in the recall.

A full list of the recalled products along with their item codes is available on the FSIS website. The affected products include pre-cooked chicken strips, chicken patties, and chopped or diced chicken.

As a class 1 recall, there is a reasonable chance that consuming the affected meat and poultry “will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

FSIS advises consumers to check their fridges and freezers and throw out any recalled products, or return them to where they were purchased. FSIS is also urging restaurants and businesses not to sell, serve, or use these products.

While there have not been any reported illnesses connected to the recall, anyone concerned about a Listeria infection should contact a healthcare provider, FSIS advised.

Common symptoms of a mild Listeria infection, or listeriosis, include diarrhea, fever, headache, and muscle pains and are normally felt within a few days. Some populations—pregnant people, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems—are more likely to experience severe symptoms of Listeria infection, including:

• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Seizures
• Miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of newborns
• Death

People in the higher-risk groups who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating the contaminated food should seek medical care, FSIS advises.