Don't wait until dinner - now is the time to peek in your refrigerator. In a twist of events, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall warning last Thursday for a whopping 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products.

At the heart of the recall is BrucePac, a prolific meat packing company operating out of Oklahoma. This large quantity of ready-to-eat poultry and meats, the company's products, could potentially be tainted with listeria.

But what does this mean for you? The FDA's alert states that the recall covers around 9,986,245 pounds of BrucePac’s ready-to-eat meat and poultry. Interestingly, these batches were produced over a span of nearly four months, between June 19, 2024, and October 8, 2024. The affected items were delivered to various establishments and distributors nationwide, which then disseminated them to local restaurants and other institutions.

To check whether your products are part of the recall, look for establishment numbers "51205 or P-51205". These recall-specific ids will be found under or inside the USDA inspection mark.

The discovery of potential contamination was made during routine product testing executed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), reveals the FDA. Post the testing, BrucePac’s goods tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. A subsequent inquiry by FSIS also pinned down BrucePac’s ready-to-eat chicken as the contamination source.

It's important to note that according to FDA records, there have not been any confirmed cases of sickness or negative reactions linked to consumption of these products. On the flip side, ingesting food contaminated with L. monocytogenes, the bacteria in question, can trigger listeriosis. This severe infection mainly targets older adults, individuals with compromised immune systems, plus pregnant women and their babies. Even though less common, others outside these risk categories can also contract the infection, which can result in symptoms like fevers, muscular aches, headaches, and a stiff neck to confusion, balance loss and stomach-related issues. For pregnant women, the infection could lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, premature deliveries, or even life-threatening infections in newborns.

FSIS is deeply concerned about the availability of these potentially contaminated products on shelves of restaurants, institutions, and other establishments. It urgently advises that these items should be discarded immediately or returned to the place of purchase. For any queries related to the recall, customers can reach out to Jeff Golangco, the Vice President of Business Development at BrucePac, on 503-874-3000.