Deadly Bacteria Found in Missouri’s Top Bacon Brand

Please don't take the bacon away. As much as I hate to admit it, there is a good reason why you need to check your bacon supplies as one of the most popular brands in Missouri is at risk of having a deadly contamination.

This bulletin from the USDA was just issued yesterday about bacon from Oscar Mayer. Their alert says "approximately 367,812 pounds of fully cooked turkey bacon products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes". This Oscar Mayer turkey bacon was widely available in Missouri. Here are the labels that you need to look for:

• 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of "Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL" and universal product code (UPC) "071871548601" printed on the packaging under the barcode,"use by" dates ranging "18 JUL 2025" to "02 AUG 2025," and lot code "RS40."
• 36-oz. packages containing three 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of "Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL" and universal product code (UPC) "071871548748" printed on the packaging under the barcode, "use by" dates ranging "23 JUL 2025" to "04 SEP 2025," and lot codes "RS19," "RS40," or "RS42."
• 48-oz. packages containing four 12-oz. vacuum-packed packages of "Oscar Mayer Turkey BACON ORIGINAL" and UPC "071871548793" printed on the packaging under the barcode and "use by" dates ranging "18 JUL 2025" to "04 SEP 2025," and lot codes "RS19," "RS40," or "RS42."

Why is listeria dangerous?

The CDC says listeria bacteria is especially dangerous for the very young, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system. While infection is rare, listeria is the 3rd leading cause of death from food-borne illness in the United States. The good news about this recall is the USDA says there have been no serious illnesses in Missouri connected to this recall as of the date of this writing.