INDIANA—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. FSIS is issuing this alert to ensure consumers know these products should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available.
The raw ground beef items were produced on March 28, 2024. The products have a “Use/Freeze by” date of April 22, 2024, and a packaging date of “032824.”
The products subject to the public health alert bear the establishment number “EST. 960A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to food service institutions and retail locations nationwide.
The establishment discovered the problem while conducting an inventory of a product that was on hold because it was found positive for E. coli O157:H7. The company notified FSIS that it inadvertently used a portion of the contaminated beef to produce ground beef products that it subsequently shipped into commerce.
There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products.
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 two to eight days on average after exposure to the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under five and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.
SIS is concerned that some products may be in consumers’ and food service institutions’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them, and food service institutions are urged not to serve them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef cooked to 160 F. 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: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.
Consumers with questions about the public health alert can contact Gina Adami, Greater Omaha Packing Co., Inc. Representative, at 402-575-4702 or gadami@gmail.com.
