New Ground Beef Recall Issued

Some ground beef products tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.

By Allison Schonter

If ground beef is on the menu this week, you may have to rethink your meals. Nearly 7,000 pounds of uncooked beef patties and ground beef produced by the Illinois-based company Valley Meats, LLC. Have been recalled due to possible E. coli contamination, according to a notice shared by U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDS) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Announced on Dec. 31, the recall affects approximately 6,768 pounds of raw ground beef products that were produced on Dec. 22. The packing of affected products has the establishment number "EST. 5712" on the USDA marks of inspection, and the products, which were sold in various sizes, were shipped to distributors in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan to be dispensed to restaurants and similar institutions in the areas. Impacted products include various sizes of ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES, Ground Beef Patties, and GROUND BEEF. The complete list of recalled products, as well as identifying information including product and date codes, use by dates, run numbers, and time stamps, can be viewed by clicking here.

The recall was issued after "samples of ground beef products submitted to a third-party laboratory for microbiological analysis tested positive for E. coli O157:H7," which is the most common strain of escherichia coli, commonly abbreviated as E. coli, to cause illness in people, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Signs and symptoms of infection may appear within two to eight days after exposure to the organism and may include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Although most people recover within a week, some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Some people may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure.

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Valley Meats, LLC notified FSIS after the problem was discovered, and a recall of the products was subsequently issues. FSIS said that while there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the recalled ground beef products, there is concern the products may be in institutional or restaurant refrigerators or freezers. FSIS said the restaurants and institutions should not serve the recalled products, which should instead be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

The FSIS reminded consumers that raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, need to be safely prepared. Ground beef should only be consumed if it has been cooked to a temperature of 160 Fahrenheit. Per the FSIS, "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."

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