K2D Foods, doing business as Colorado Premium Foods of Carrolton, Georgia, is recalling 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products for possible E. coli O103 contamination. There is an unsolved ongoing E. coli O103 outbreak that is linked to ground beef, but the recall notice states, “Further testing is ongoing to determine if the recalled ground beef products are related to the E. coli O103 outbreak.”
These items were produced on March 26, March 29, April 2, April 5, April 10, and April 12, 2019. The recalled product is two 24-pound vacuum-packed packages in cardboard boxes containing raw “GROUND BEEF PUCK.” The “Use Thru” dates on the product are 4/14/19, 4/17/19, 4/20/19, 4/23/19, 4/28/19, and 4/30/19. These products have the establishment number “EST. 51308” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The ground beef was shipped to distributors in Fort Orange, Florida and Norcross, Georgia for further distribution to restaurants. The patients who are sick in the E. coli O103 outbreak live in Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and Mississippi.
Unopened, intact ground beef that was collected as part of the investigation from an undisclosed restaurant location, where multiple patients sickened in the outbreak said they ate meals, tested positive for E. coli O103.
The recall notice again states that “At this time, there is no definitive link between this positive product and the ongoing E. coli O103 outbreak. Further traceback and product analysis continues to determine if the recalled products are related to the E. coli O103 outbreak.”
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker said, “An E. col infection is painful and scary. We want to solve this outbreak.” Call him toll free at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202 for help.
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who underwrites Food Poisoning Bulletin, said, “This recall may be significant in the investigation of the E. coli O103 outbreak that has sickened so many people. No one should get sick just because they ordered a burger at a restaurant.”
The recall notice then reminds consumers to “safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160°F. The only way to0 confirm that raw ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.” If you are eating a ground beef product at a restaurant, ask that it be cooked to 160°F.
FSIS is telling restaurants that if they purchased this ground beef, to not serve it. The products should be returned to the place of purchase or discarded.
The symptoms of an E. coli infection include painful and severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody, and vomiting. Symptoms usually start 2 to 8 days after exposure. An E. coli O103 infection is more difficult to diagnose than the more common E. coli O157:H7 infection because most clinical labs do not test for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections. If you have eaten ground beef and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor.
