Schoolchildren could be at risk of listeria infection due to the recall of millions of pounds of contaminated meat and poultry after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Tuesday that the meat had been distributed to schools.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) also stated that the recall affects nearly 12 million pounds of meat, instead of the previously reported 10 million pounds.

The recalled products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenesbacteria that can cause a serious or fatal infection in some people, especially older adults, people with compromised immune systems, and pregnant women and their babies.

The FSIS has given the recall its highest risk level: Class I, which its website defines as “a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will result in serious, adverse health consequences or death cause.”

The recall was initially announced after listeria was found by the FSIS during routine testing on a product containing ready-to-eat chicken supplied by Oregon-based BrucePac, and further investigation confirmed that the chicken was the source of the contamination.

BrucePac supplies meat and poultry products to a variety of retailers, brands and establishments, including restaurants, schools and stores, many of which use the products in prepared foods.

The FSIS has expressed concern that these products could be in schools, restaurants and other institutions, and could end up in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers.

Which schools, and how many, could be affected by the recall is not yet available, but the FSIS has released information about the affected store locations.

The FSIS insists that recalled products are not served, but thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Listeria is a strain of bacteria that can cause listeriosis infection, which is listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the US, responsible for approximately 260 deaths per year.

Symptoms of listeriosis usually appear within 24 hours of eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

However, the infection can take weeks to manifest and spread beyond the intestines, leading to more symptoms such as fever, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Listeriosis can lead to pregnancy complications, including miscarriages, stillbirth, premature birth, or the baby’s life-threatening infection.

The affected products were manufactured by BrucePac at BrucePac’s Oklahoma facility between May 31, 2024 and October 8, 2024, after which they were distributed in the U.S. for sale, serving or use in other products.

The recalled meat may carry establishment numbers 51205 or P-51205 within or under the USDA inspection mark, but the FSIS clarified Friday that some recalled products may carry different establishment numbers depending on how they were distributed and processed.

Newsweek recently reported that the recall is impacting several major grocery chains, including Walmart, Kroger, Target, Amazon Fresh, Aldi and Trader Joe’s.

The FSIS has released a complete list of affected products: a 345-page searchable document, with images of product labels and additional information so customers can check whether a product is safe.

A separate recall of Reser’s Fine Foods taco kits was also announced earlier this week because the company used BrucePac as a supplier.

Newsweek has reached out to BrucePac and the FSIS for comment.

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