Glenn’s Market and Catering in Watertown Wisconsin is recalling 2,532 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7. The products were sold only at that particular store from the retail meat case. The recalled meat is various size packages of Glenn’s Market ground round, ground chuck, and ground beef sold between December 22, 2012 and January 4, 2013.
There is a cluster of E. coli 0157:H7 illnesses announced by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health on January 10, 2013. Three patients with the outbreak strain have been identified. The beef was purchased on December 24, 2012 and on December 30, 2012. Illness onset dates ranged from January 29, 2012 to January 1, 2013. All three consumed raw ground round purchased from Glenn’s Market. Public health officials are concerned that some of the product may be frozen and in consumer’s freezers.
The symptoms of an E. coli infection include bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps that last for about a week. This infection can develop into hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that can cause kidney failure and death. The very young and older adults are most susceptible to this complication.
The public is advised to safely prepare all raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, cooked to 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to that temperature is to use a food thermometer. For questions about the recall, contact Glenn’s Market vice president Jeff Roberts at 920-261-2226. The USDA’s FSIS is working with the Watertown Department of Public Health, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on this outbreak.
