More Than 87,000 Pounds of Meat Recalled Over Possible Listeria Contamination

With the holidays rolling around the corner, it’s time to check your fridge once again. The Illinois-based company, Behrmann Meat and Processing Inc. has recalled almost 90,000 pounds of its various ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products. The products, which were distributed to multiple states, was issued a recall by the company on Sept. 24 over concerns of possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

The recall covers approximately 87,382 pounds of various ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products that were produced from July 7, 2022, to Sept. 9, 2022, and shipped to retail locations and wholesale distributors in Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri. The RTE meat products that are subject to the recall bear establishment number “EST 20917” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The recall includes dozens of products, such as smoked hams and pulled porks, bone-in hams, bacon strips, pork steaks, and snack sticks, though the FSIS said they expect additional product labels to be added to the recall. The full list of recalled RTE meat products, including identifying lot numbers, can be found here, and labels can be viewed here.

The recall was issued after product and environmental testing performed by FSIS and Behrmann Meat and Processing Inc. identified Listeria monocytogenes in the processing environment and in products produced by the establishment. Listeria monocytogenes is the bacterium that can cause listeria infection, a serious infection typically caused by consuming contaminated food. Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women, and others with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk. In some cases, it can be fatal.

The FSIS said that while no confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions have been reported related to consumption of the recalled products, there is still concern that the recalled RTE meat products could be in consumers’ pantries, refrigerators, or freezers. The FSIS advised that consumers who purchased the recalled products should not eat them. The products should instead be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

The recall is just the latest recall to hit the meat section at grocery stores and follows the Sept. 17 recall of more than 20,000 pounds of frozen beef products. Valley International Cold Storage Acquisition, LLC issued that recall due to an undeclared allergen after a mislabeling issue resulted in packages of chicken sausage and pepper products being distributed in packages labeled as Korean-Style Beef, meaning the products contained undeclared milk. Similar to Behrmann Meat and Processing Inc.’s recall, no illnesses were reported.