The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a recall of over 16,000 pounds of ground beef products sold at Walmart due to potential contamination with the harmful bacteria E. Coli. The affected items, produced by Cargill Meat Solutions between April 26 and 27, have been recalled nationwide after the source of contamination was discovered.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a recall notice on May 1 for various ground beef products from Cargill Meat Solutions, based in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The raw ground beef items were produced between April 26 and 27 and have been shipped to Walmart retail locations nationwide.
The following ground beef products are subject to recall: “93% LEAN 7% FAT ALL NATURAL LEAN GROUND BEEF,” “PRIME RIB BEEF STEAK BURGERS PATTIES,” “85% LEAN 15% FAT ALL NATURAL ANGUS PREMIUM GROUND BEEF,” “80% LEAN 20% FAT ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF CHUCK,” “80% LEAN 20% FAT ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES,” and “90% LEAN 10% FAT ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF SIRLOIN PATTIES.” All the affected products bear the USDA mark of inspection and establishment number “EST. 86P.”
Cargill Meat Solutions identified the issue after they discovered that a contaminated product came into contact with the ground meat. Thankfully, no reported cases of illness due to consumption of these products have been confirmed.
Consumers have been advised to not consume these products if they purchased them from Walmart in the given time frame for contamination. They should instead throw them away or return them to the store.
E. Coli is a potentially deadly bacteria that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps for days after exposure. In some cases, symptoms can progress to kidney failure; however, this is most common in children under the age of five or older adults.
Infections typically occur three to four days after consuming the germ. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS encourages all consumers to remove the affected products from their fridges and freezers if they still have them in their home.
FSIS said it is working closely with the company and retail locations to ensure that recalled products are no longer available for sale. Consumers who need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product can use the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System, which can be accessed 24 hours a day at foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF.
This recall is just one of several recent meat-related recalls due to potential contamination with E. Coli or other harmful bacteria. Consumers are urged to carefully check their refrigerators and freezers for recalled items and follow proper food safety guidelines when handling and preparing raw ground beef.
