Recalled Meat Was Sent To Jersey City Schools, Superintendent Responds

JERSEY CITY, NJ — After meat and poultry products shipped to schools were recalled last week due to possible listeria contamination, Jersey City school officials say the products were picked up by the distributor.

More than a dozen district schools were listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as receiving the recalled products, including Public School 6, 12, 15, and many others (see list below).

"On Friday, October 11, 2024, we immediately identified recalled items in our schools," said. Superintendent of Schools Norma Fernandez. "The recall impacted the pre-plated meal items served in some schools. Since the District was closed on Monday, October 14, 2024, the distributing company picked up all the recalled items from all identified schools early on Tuesday, October 15, 2024."

She added, "The Jersey City Public Schools will continue to follow all the State and Federal Government (USDA) recall recommendations."

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service released a "preliminary list" of hundreds of schools on Thursday that received ready-to-eat products recalled by BrucePac.

The company so far this month has recalled more than 11.7 million pounds of meat and poultry products after routine testing confirmed they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

You can see the full list here.

Some of the brands that are part of the recall include 7-Eleven, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Kitchen, Atkins, Bell & Evans, Boston Market, Central Eats, Dole, Eat!, El Monterey, Fresh Express, Fusia, Giant Eagle, Gordon Choice, Good & Gather, Great Value, H-E-B, HMS, Home Chef, Jenny Craig, KitchenMate, Kroger, Little Salad Bar, Marketside, Meijer, Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods, Michelina’s, Mom’s Meals, RaceTrac, Raley’s, Ready Meals, Red's, Save Mart, Signature Select, Taylor Farms, Trader Joe’s, Udi’s, Wegmans, Whitsons.

Food safety officials initially said ready-to-eat salads and wraps sold at Walmart, Trader Joe's and Aldi were among dozens of products included in a massive recall. Additional items including pastas and frozen meals sold at Costco and other stores may also be contaminated. Shortly after, officials warned many of the products were shipped to schools.

See the full list of recalled products, plus labels, lot codes and use-by dates here.

BrucePac produces various meat products, including chicken, beef, turkey and pork. Its website says it serves industrial, food service and retail clients.

No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported, according to the alert.

Eating food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older, or with weakened immune systems. People outside these risk groups are less affected.

Symptoms of listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, and are sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Jeff Golangco, vice president of business development at BrucePac, at 503-874-3000.

Editor Michele Rotuno-Johnson contributed to this report.