SEATTLE — A massive nationwide recall of nearly 10 million pounds of meat due to concerns of listeria contamination is affecting some of Washington’s most popular grocery stores.
BrucePac of Woodburn, Ore., recalled the roughly 5,000 tons of ready-to-eat foods this week after U.S. Agriculture Department officials detected listeria in samples of poultry during routine testing, according to The Associated Press.
Further tests identified BrucePac chicken as the source. But the company sells to other companies who resell or use its products in other food products. Potentially affected products include brands sold by Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Walmart, Amazon Fresh, and Kroger’s store brand.
The full list of recalled products is more than 300 pages long and can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
According to the USDA, there have been no confirmed reports of illness linked to the recall.
Here’s what to know about how the recall is impacting Washington.
Recalled products pulled from WA stores
As of Monday, the state Department of Health said USDA had not yet provided a distribution list, so health officials don’t know which specific retailers in Washington are impacted.
DOH has been reaching out to grocers and distributors to ensure they’re aware of the recall and if they received any of the recalled products.
Several in the state, like Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Fred Meyer and Target, reported that they had removed recalled products from sale, DOH said Monday.
Other possible recalled products
DOH is warning that the recalled meat might have been used in other food products that could take longer to identify, such as frozen heat-and-serve meals or fresh items like salads and wraps that are close to expiring.
Customers are encouraged to check recently purchased prepared meals to see if they have been recalled.
Check DOH’s recall listserv, which will be updated as health officials learn more: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/topics. Customers may also ask their local store if a particular item was recalled.
Listeria symptoms to watch for
Eating foods contaminated with listeria can cause potentially serious illness. About 1,600 people are infected with listeria bacteria each year in the U.S. and about 260 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms include headache, muscle aches, fever, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sometimes loss of balance, possibly even seizures. Listeriosis is treatable with antibiotics but can become serious and potentially fatal in some cases.
Those over 65, those with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant are particularly vulnerable to hospitalization or death due to listeria infections. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns that pregnant people are 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than the general population, and infections can result in miscarriages or cause lifelong problems for their babies.
Anyone with potential illness is encouraged to contact their health care provider, and to report it to DOH by visiting: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness.
