A public health alert for Kroger ground beef and other brands of ground beef has been issued by the USDA because the product may be contaminated with E. coli O26. A recall was not requested beaus the government thinks that these products are no longer available for consumers to purchase.
The problem was discovered when a consumer submitted a retail package of ground beef that was produced by Empire Packing to a third-party lab for analysis. The consumer allegedly got sick but did not get tested for E. coli. The laboratory confirmed that the ground beef sample was positive for E. coli O26.
These ground beef items were produced on December 16 and 17, 2021. You can see pictures of product labels at the USDA web site. They include:
1 pound foam trays containing “ALL NATURAL LAURA’S LEAN BEEF 92% LEAN 8% FAT GROUND BEEF.” The product is labeled with 350/(timestamp)/Est.31805/002, with the timestamp ranging from 0602 to 1721.
1 pound foam trays containing “Kroger GROUND BEEF CARNE MOLIDA 96% LEAN 4% FAT.” The product is labeled with 350/(timestamp)/Est.31805/002, with the timestamp ranging from 0602 to 1721.
1 pound foam trays containing “Kroger GROUND BEEF CARNE MOLIDA 85% LEAN 15% FAT.” The product is labeled with 350/(timestamp)/Est.31805/002, with the timestamp ranging from 0602 to 1721.
1.3 pound foam trays containing “PRIVATE SELECTION ANGUS BEEF 90% LEAN 10% FAT GROUND SIRLOIN.” The product is labeled with 350/(timestamp)/Est.31805/002, with the timestamp ranging from 0602 to 1721. Additional product is labeled with 351/(timestamp)/Est. 31805/003, with the timestamp ranging from 1549 to 1651.
1 poundfoam trays containing “Kroger GROUND BEEF CARNE MOLIDA 93% LEAN 7% FAT.” The product is labeled with 350/(timestamp)/Est.31805/002, with the timestamp ranging from 0602 to 1721.
1 pound foam trays containing “Kroger GROUND BEEF CARNE MOLIDA 80% LEAN 20% FAT.” The product is labeled with 350/(timestamp)/Est.31805/002, with the timestamp ranging from 0602 to 1721.
These products were distributed to warehouses nu Oregon and Washington and sold at the retail level. FSIS thinks that these products may be in consumers’ home freezers. Please check your freezer carefully to seee if you have any of these products.
If you do, throw them away in a sealed or double bagged package in a secure trash can. You can also take the ground beef back to the store where you bought it for a refund. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the ground beef.
