Ground beef recalled over E. coli fears

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Approximately 28,356 pounds of ground beef products are being recalled due to a possible E. coli contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Thursday.

The raw, ground beef items being recalled by Interstate Meat Dist. Inc. were produced on Dec. 20, 2021, and were sold by Albertsons, Kroger, Walmart and WinCo. These items were shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The products subject to recall and their labels can be viewed here.

The packaging has establishment number “EST. 965” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed next to the timestamp and use or freeze by date.

The issue was reported to the U.S. after a retail package of ground beef was purchased and submitted to a third-party laboratory for microbiological analysis and the sample tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service conducted an assessment of the lab’s accreditation and methodologies and determined the results were actionable.

Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism.

While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Those who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately, the USDA said.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service also said it is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them and show throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

The agency advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.