An Oklahoma purveyor has recalled nearly 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry due to possible listeria contamination, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.
The meat and poultry products were distributed by BrucePac, which has a processing facility out of Durant, OK., to restaurants and institutions across the US. The USDA is urging all restaurants and institutions to check their establishments for products purchased from BrucePac.
There is no indication that the possibly tainted meat was distributed to grocery stores or other retailers.
While the exact product information has not been announced yet, the USDA says the products affected will have the establishment numbers "'51205 or P-51205' inside or under the USDA mark of inspection."
According to the company's website, BrucePac provides cooked chicken, beef, pork, turkey and plant-based products.
Approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat meat was recalled, but at this time, there have been no reports of illness in connection with the possible contamination.
Read more: The Wave of Recalls, Explained
What is listeria?
Listeria is a bacteria that can cause listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness. Pregnant women and the elderly are at an increased risk of having serious symptoms in connection with the illness.
Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion and gastrointestinal distress. For high-risk individuals, the illness can cause death. According to the FDA, pregnant women are 10 to 13 times more likely to get listeriosis than others.