E. Coli Risks Lead To Recall of Tens of Thousands of Pounds of Ground Beef

More than 28,000 pounds of ground beef has been recalled, because it may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria, federal food safety regulators warn.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced the ground beef recall issued by Interstate Meat Dist. Inc. last week, impacting products produced on December 20, 2021, and shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The ground beef was sold by Walmart, Albertsons, Kroger, Fred Meyer, and WinCo.

While no illnesses have been reported in connection to the meat, federal officials are concerned some product may still be in consumer’s refrigerators or freezers, and they may be unaware that consuming the ground beef places them at risk of developing E. coli food poisoning.

The recall was issued after a retail package was purchased by Consumer Reports tested positive for E. coli, and the USDA later confirmed the results.

The product testing was part of a larger investigation by Consumer Reports into the safety of ground beef sold at supermarkets across the U.S.

Infection with E. coli can lead to fever, dehydration, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps and typically occurs 2-8 days after exposure. Most people recover within a week, but some can develop more serious conditions like a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). E. coli infection causes 95,000 illnesses in the US every year.

A total of 28,356 pounds of ground beef sold by those retailers are affected by the recall. The ground beef can be identified as part of the recall if the product bears establishment number “EST.965” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed next to the time stamp and use or freeze by date of 1/11/2022.

The FSIS urges consumers not to eat any of the recalled meat. Instead, consumers should throw the meat away or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. If you are concerned you may have symptoms of E. coli food borne illness, contact your medical provider or seek medical attention.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Sales Manager Mike Sinner and Quality Assurance Manager Rodolfo Mendoza at Interstate Meat Dist., Inc. by calling (503) 656-6168.