Oscar Mayer just made our bad news list by voluntarily recalling a whopping 367,828 pounds of its turkey bacon products. This move follows warnings of possible listeria bacteria contamination. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, health officials are encouraging consumers to look through their pantries for affected products. These products are potentially deadly.
The recalled turkey bacon products were distributed to retail locations nationwide. They subsequently made it to the British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong. We chose to issue this recall out of an abundance of caution due to the potential for these items to be contaminated with listeria. This pathogenic bacterium is responsible for foodborne illness that can result in serious disease and death among at-risk populations.
This recall only affects 12-ounce packages of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Original, with a UPC code 071871548601. Further, 36-ounce packages, including packages containing three 12-ounce packages, of UPC code 071871548748 are included in the recall. These 36-ounce packages have use-by dates of July 18 – August 2. You can recognize them by the lot code RS40.
Additionally, the recall includes 48-ounce multipacks of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Original, which are four 12-ounce multipacks. These big bundles include UPC 071871548793. Each of these have a use-by date between July 18 and September 4, with lot codes RS19, RS40, and RS42. A second set of 48-ounce cartons also has use-by dates ranging from July 23 through Sept. 4, and has the same lot codes.
According to federal health officials, no illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the recalled turkey bacon products. This comes after a robust recall campaign. Most importantly, they want you to be aware and informed about listeria infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 1,600 Americans get sick from listeria annually. This debilitating disease sadly leads to around 260 deaths each year.
The recent recall comes as listeria infections are under the spotlight, especially after some notorious outbreaks over the past year. One high-profile outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats led to ten deaths and more than sixty illnesses. In light of these outbreaks, federal officials are changing procedures meant to stop additional listeria infections.
Consumers who purchased the recalled turkey bacon products should discard them. Or, you can bring them back to the retail store where you bought them for a full refund. Public health officials are monitoring the outbreak very closely. During this month, they highlight the critical role of food safety precautions and encourage consumers to always be on the lookout for food recalls.
