Federal health authorities announced on Wednesday the recall of nearly 368,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon due to possible listeria contamination, a bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.
No illnesses have been confirmed to date, U.S. agriculture department officials said.
The recall, made by Kraft Heinz Food Company based in Newberry, South Carolina, pertains to fully cooked turkey bacon produced between April 24 and June 11. The issue was identified following laboratory tests which pointed to potential listeria presence.
The recall includes the following products, which were shipped to U.S. stores nationwide, as well as the British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong:
This recall affects 12-ounce packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Original, marked with the UPC code 071871548601 located under the bar code. These packages have use-by dates ranging from July 18 to August 2 and are associated with the lot code RS40.
— 36-ounce packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Original containing three 12-ounce packages of product with the UPC code 071871548748 printed on the package under the barcode. They include use-by dates from July 23 to Sept. 4 and lot codes RS19, RS40 and RS42.
— 48-ounce packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Original containing four 12-ounce packages of product with the UPC code 071871548793 printed on the package under the barcode. They include use-by dates from July 18 to Sept. 4 and lot codes RS19, RS40 and RS42.
Consumers shouldn’t eat the products, which may be in their refrigerators or freezers. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Listeria infections can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, people with weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant or their newborns. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.
About 1,600 people get sick each year from listeria infections and about 260 die, the CDC said.
Federal officials in December said they were revamping protocols to prevent listeria infections after several high-profile outbreaks, including one linked to Boar’s Head deli meats that led to 10 deaths and more than 60 illnesses last year.
