The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for multiple ground beef products due to the possibility of E. coli O157:H7 contamination.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on April 20 that multiple ground beef products produced on March 28, 2024, may have been contaminated. Health officials were concerned that consumers and service providers already had these products.
“The problem was discovered by the establishment while conducting an inventory of product that was on hold because it was found positive for E. coli O157:H7. The company notified FSIS that they inadvertently used a portion of the contaminated beef to produce ground beef products that they subsequently shipped into commerce,” read the announcement from the FSIS.
“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 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure [to] the organism,” stated the announcement.
The full list of affected products is listed here. No recall notices have been posted because the products are no longer available for purchase.
People are advised to prepare frozen and raw beef products safely and only consume them if they have been cooked to an internal temperature of 160 Fahrenheit.
This public health alert comes after American Foods Group issued a recall for some of its ground beef products last September due to possible contamination with E. coli, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.