The deadly Flathead County E. coli outbreak in Montana case count has increased to 22 sick, according to news reports. The case count was at 14 in the last update that was issued on July 26, 2024. One person has died. The outbreak is linked to wagyu ground beef that were undercooked or made to order. The beef was served at restaurants in that county, including: Gunsight Saloon Hops Downtown Grill Tamarack Brewing Company the Lodge at Whitefish Lake Harbor Grille Th person who died allegedly ate at Harbor Grille, and, according to that news report, lived in Arizona. Other restaurants in that county, including Flathead Fish, the Crawdad Café, and the Flathead Lake Lodge, received the ground beef from the same lot, but no illnesses have been reported in connection … [Read more...]
Flathead MT E. coli Outbreak Linked to Wagyu Ground Beef
The Flathead MT E. coli outbreak is linked to wagyu ground beef served at several restaurants, according to the Flathead City-County Heath Department and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The source was wagyu beef from one lot number. Wagyu beef comes from a Japanese breed and is highly marbled with great flavor. All 14 cases said they ate undercooked or made to order burgers. The last known date of consumption was July 14, 2024. The following restaurants are associated with the 14 cases of reported illness in this outbreak: Gunsight Saloon; Hops Downtown Grill; Tamarack Brewing Company; the Lodge at Whitefish Lake; and Harbor Grille. Furthermore, based on information provided through case investigation, one individual has died after exposure to wagyu beef … [Read more...]
Deadly Ground Beef E. coli Outbreak Sickens 13 in Montana
A deadly ground beef E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 13 people in Montana, according to the Flathead City-County Health Department. That department is working with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and other local health departments to investigate this E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. The investigation has identified at least 13 people associated with this outbreak. Many of the patients have experienced moderate to severe symptoms. One death has occurred. Preliminary findings indicate that the ground beef containing E. coli may be the "exposure of concern." More clinical and food samples are being tested. The ground beef that has been identified as the potential source of this outbreak was sold directly to restaurants from a distributor. Consumers could … [Read more...]
Ground Beef Tests Negative For Avian Influenza, Says USDA
Ground beef tests negative for Avian Influenza, the USDA said on May 1, 2024. With the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) affecting not only birds, but cattle in recent weeks, there had been some concern that the virus would be found in ground beef. The virus has been found intact in raw milk, but only fragments of the pathogen have been discovered in pasteurized milk. The USDA collected samples of ground beef from retail stores in states where dairy cattle herds had tested positive for the virus at the time of sample collection. The samples were sent to APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratory for PCR testing. All samples had tested negative for H5N1, which reaffirms that the meat supply is safe. Of course, avoiding raw milk and cooking all ground beef … [Read more...]
Cargill Meat Ground Beef Recalled For E. coli O157:H7
Cargill Meat ground beef in several forms is being recalled for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of these products. The recalling firm is Cargill Meat Solutions of Hazelton, Pennsylvania. About 16,243 pounds of raw ground beef products are included in this recall. They were produced on April 26 and April 27, 2024. The recalled items include: 2.25 pound plastic-wrapped trays containing "93% LEAN 7% FAT ALL NATURAL LEAN GROUND BEEF" with lot code 117 and establishment number "EST. 86P" printed on the back of the label. 1.33 pound plastic-wrapped trays containing four "PRIME RIB BEEF STEAK BURGERS PATTIES" with lot code 118 and establishment number "EST. 86P" on the back of the … [Read more...]
Health Alert Issued For Ground Beef For Possible E. coli
A health alert has been issued for different types and brands of ground beef for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination, according to the USDA. The establishment that produced the ground beef was not named, but it was sold in several iterations under different brand names. A recall was not requested beaus these items are no longer available for consumers to purchase. No illness have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of these products. The raw ground beef products were produced on March 28, 2024. These items have a "Use/Freeze By" date of April 22, 2024, and a packaging date of "032824." You can see the list of recalled products at the USDA web site, and you can also see pictures of the labels for those products. The recalled products include ground beef … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2023
These are the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2023. To be included in this list, the outbreaks must have sickened at least two people in different states. The outbreaks were linked to food that ranged from cantaloupe to flour to ground beef to raw cookie dough to dry dog food. The number one outbreak is the deadly Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak that has sickened at least 302 people in 42 states, with 129 patients hospitalized. This outbreak is still ongoing. Four people have died in this outbreak. Three lived in Minnesota and one lived in Oregon. Many recalls have been issued as a result of this outbreak. If you purchased cantaloupe recently, make sure that the fruit is not part of any of these recalls. If you aren't positive, or if you froze cantaloupe in the last two months, … [Read more...]
Valley Meats Ground Beef Patties Recalled For E. coli O157:H7
Valley Meats Ground Beef Patties are being recalled for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The recalling firm is Valley Meats of Coal Valley, Illinois. About 6768 pounds of the raw ground beef products are included in this recall. They were produced on December 22, 2023. They include: 12 pound boxes containing “ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with product code 1208PL, run number 3356GRDB, date code 231222, use by date 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 7:36:38AM to 08:00:48AM. 16 pound boxes that contain “ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” with the product code 1253PL, run number 3356GRDB, date code 231222, use by date 01/15/2024, and time stamps between 7:25:50 AM to 08:00:36AM. 28 pound boxes containing … [Read more...]
Scanga Meat Ground Beef Recalled For Possible E. coli O103
Scanga Meat Ground Beef is being recalled for possible E. coli O103 contamination. No confirmed reports of illness have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is Scanga Meat Company of Salida, Colorado. About 563 pounds of this ground beef are included in this recall. They were produced on December 11, 2023. The recalled products include: 6 pound plastic tubes containing “It’s a treat to eat Scanga Meat OUR REGULAR GROUND BEEF” and may have lot code 3345 represented on the label. 6 pound plastic tubes containing “It’s a treat to eat Scanga Meat OUR X-L GROUND BEEF” that may have lot code 3345 on the label. 1 pound plastic chubs containing “SCANGA MEAT HAMBURGER” and may have lot code 3345 stamped on the … [Read more...]
Number 5 Outbreak of 2023: ShopRite Ground Beef Salmonella
The number five outbreak of 2023 is the ShopRite ground beef Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 18 people in four states. While traceback didn't identify a common source for the ground beef, most people bought the meat at ShopRite stores in the northeastern United States. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New Jersey (11), and New York (5). The patient age range is from 0 to 97 years. Illness onset dates ranged from April 27, 2023 through July 6, 2023. Seven people were hospitalized because they were so sick. Patient isolates were tested with whole genome sequencing were found to be closely related genetically, which means the people likely got sick from eating the same food. Investigators found the outbreak strain of Salmonella in a routine … [Read more...]
