Aldi, Walmart, Trader Joe’s meat recalled over listeria concerns

Nearly 10 million pounds of meat products are being pulled across grocery store shelves across the country, including in Wisconsin, over listeria concerns, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week.

The massive recall has affected products from Aldi, Target, Walmart, Trader Joe’s and 7-Eleven, among other nationwide grocery store chains and restaurants.

The contaminated meat was distributed by BrucePac, an Oklahoma-based pre-cooked meat producer, and recalled after routine testing found evidence of listeria monocytogenes in its ready-to-eat poultry. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria which can cause the foodborne bacterial illness listeria.

Here’s which products to avoid under the latest recall and what to do if you’ve already purchased or consumed them.

Which meat products are being recalled?

As of Monday, the recall included 9,986,245 pounds of meat and poultry items, with affected products ranging from ready-to-eat salads to frozen meals, according to USA TODAY.

The USDA has released the 326-page document with pictures and names of all recalled products, updated as of Oct. 10.

The recalled products were manufactured from June 19, 2024 to Oct. 8 2024. Most of them bear establishment numbers 51205 or P-51205 on the packaging, but some products may have gotten different establishment numbers throughout the food distribution process, the USDA said.

Has anyone gotten sick from the recalled meat?

As of Tuesday, there have been no confirmed reports of negative health reactions linked to the recalled meat, according to the USDA. However, the agency advises contacting your healthcare provider if you are concerned about an illness from any BrucePac products.

Which stores carried the recalled meat products?

The USDA is continuing to update the recall, but more than half of the affected stores have Wisconsin locations. Here is the latest list of stores which carried contaminated products, according to USA TODAY:

• Walmart
• Meijer
• Target
• Aldi
• Trader Joe’s
• 7-Eleven
• Wegmans
• Amazon Fresh
• Kroger
• Albertson’s
• Publix
• H-E-B
• Giant Eagle
• Save Mart

Which brands have recalled products?

The following brands had products affected by the recall, though the USDA is also continuing to update this list.

• Fresh Express
• Rao’s
• Michael Angelo’s
• Boston Market
• Atkins
• Dole
• Jenny Craig
• El Monterey
• Don Pancho’s
• ReadyMeals
• Amazon Kitchen
• Taylor Farms
• Giant Eagle brand
• H-E-B brand
• Kroger brand
• Home Chef
• Meijer brand
• RaceTrac brand
• Raley’s
• Save Mart brand
• Trader Joe’s brand
• Wegman’s brand
• Central Eats
• Red’s
• Udi’s
• Great Value (Walmart) brand
• Gordon Choice
• Michelina’s
• Good & Gather
• Little Salad Bar
• Signature Select
• Marketside
• Amazon Fresh
• Contessa Premium Foods
• Whitsons’ Culinary Group

What to do if you have a recalled product

If you’ve purchased any of the recalled meat, you should throw it away or return it to the place of purchase, according to the USDA. The agency also advised restaurants and food establishments that have any of the meat in stock to not serve the products and instead throw them away or return to the distributor.

More:The FDA is warning of serious health effects, possibly death, from a Wisconsin farm’s eggs

Listeria symptoms and treatment

Listeria infections are one of the leading causes of food-borne illness death in the U.S. and can be especially severe for pregnant people, newborns, people over 65 and people with weakened immune systems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Depending on the severity of infection, symptoms can start as early as 24 hours after eating the contaminated food or as late as two weeks. These symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, confusion, loss of balance or seizures.

For less severe illnesses, people will usually recover with rest and hydration. More severe cases often need antibiotic courses of treatment, according to the CDC.

If you’ve consumed contaminated product and are experiencing symptoms, the CDC advises seeking medical care and telling a health care provider about the food you ate. If you’ve eaten food contaminated with listeria but do not feel sick, you likely do not need medical care or tests and treatment to recover.

USA TODAY contributed to this report.