Two years before a 2018 Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef produced by JBS Tolleson triggered one of the largest beef recalls in modern history, another outbreak, a secret and deadly one was linked to the same strain. The deadly 2016 outbreak was never announced and no recall was ever issued because the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) said traceback records didn't conclusively point to a single establishment. So, contaminated ground beef was sold to consumers and 106 people in 21 states got Salmonella infections. Forty-eight percent of the patients were hospitalized, and one person died. One year after that outbreak ended, the first illness in the 2018 outbreak was reported. That outbreak, which was publicly announced, eventually … [Read more...]
Public Alert For Organic Rancher Ground Beef For Plastic Contamination
A public health alert is being issued for Organic Rancher Ground Beef that was sold at Whole Foods stores because it may be contaminated with foreign material in the form of hard plastic pieces. This poses a choking and mouth injury hazard. A recall was not requested because these products are no longer available for purchase. No reports of adverse reactions have been reported to the company to date in connection with this issue. The Organic Rancher ground beef was produced on April 20, 2022. The recalled items include 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages that contain Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 93% Lean 7% Fat. The use by date for this product is 5-18-2022. Also recalled is 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages that contain Organic Rancher Organic Ground Beef 85% Lean 15% Fat. The use … [Read more...]
Public Health Alert For Kroger Ground Beef For E. coli O26
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 … [Read more...]
Ground Beef Recalled For Possible E. coli O13 Contamination
Ground beef recalled for possible E. coli O103 contamination has been sold at retail locations nationwide. The ground beef was sold under various brand names. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of these products. The recalling firm is Lakeside Refrigerated Services of Swedesboro, New Jersey. The 120,872 pounds of ground beef products were produced from February 1, 2022 though April 8, 2022. You can see the complete list of recalled products at the USDA web site, along with the lot number, package size, and product type. Some of the brand names of the recalled ground beef products include Thomas Farms, Naturally Better, Nature's Reserve, Marketside Butcher, and Weis, among others. Some of the beef does not have a brand name. The products … [Read more...]
Salmonella Found in International Marketplace Ground Beef in Utah
UPDATED: Ground beef contaminated with Salmonella enterica that was produced by International Marketplace in Midvale, Utah has been pulled from store shelves, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). While news reports claim that there are illnesses associated with this issue, Bailee Woolstenhulme, Information officer for UDAF, told Food Poisoning Bulletin that no illnesses have been confirmed at this time. A foodborne illness investigation is underway, according to a UDAF press release. The ground beef was sold at the International Marketplace store in March 2022. Testing conducted by UDAF found Salmonella enterica in ground beef samples taken from that store on March 31, 2022. More products were tested on that day, and there were presumptive positives from … [Read more...]
Interstate Meat Retail Distribution List For Ground Beef Recall Released
The Interstate Meat retail distribution list for ground beef recalled for possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7 has been released by the USDA. About 28,000 pounds of the ground beef has been recalled. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The company is located in Clackamas, Oregon. The ground beef has the establishment number "EST. 965" stamped inside the USDA mark of inspection. The brand names of the ground beef include WinCo, Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons. This list may not include all retail locations where the beef was sold, and not all of these stores may have sold the product. Use the product-specific information, including time stamps and best if used by dates, to identify whether you purchased this recalled item. The potential … [Read more...]
Interstate Meat Recalls Ground Beef For Possible E coli O157:H7
Interstate Meat recalls ground beef for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumer Reports reported that they found this contamination in a package of Kroger 93% lean ground beef purchased at a Fred Meyer store in Seattle on January 5, 2021. The recall is for about 28,356 ponds of ground beef products. The recalling firm is Interstate Meat Distributors. Inc. of Clackamas, Oregon. The raw ground beef items were produced on December 20, 2021. You can see pictures of product labels at the USDA web site. They include WinCo, Fresh GROUND BEEF SIRLOIN 90% LEAN – 10% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 18:37 through 18:48 L3, 1/11/2022; Wal-Mart, ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF 90% LEAN 10% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 18:49 through 19:18 L3, 1/11/2022; WinCo, Fresh GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN - 7% FAT, 16 oz. … [Read more...]
Consumer Reports Finds E. coli in Ground Beef at Seattle Fred Meyer Store
Consumer Reports says their experts have found E. coli in ground beef that was purchased from a Fred Meyer supermarket in Seattle, Washington. The ground beef is a Kroger brand, and the bacteria was E. coli O157:H7. The package of 93% lean ground beef has the Establishment number 965 and a "use by or freeze by" date of 1/11/2022. The Kroger store chain includes Kroger, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith’s, King Soopers, Fry’s, QFC, City Market, Owen’s, Jay C, Pay Less, Baker’s, Gerbes, Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market, Mariano’s, Food 4 Less, and Foods Co. Kroger operates supermarkets, multi-department stores, price-impact warehouse stores, and marketplace stores. No illnesses are associated with the consumption of this ground beef, and no recall has been issued. … [Read more...]
New Ground Beef E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak on USDA Investigation Table
A new ground beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak on the USDA Investigation Table has been posted. Ground beef is suspected as being the source of the pathogen. The USDA Outbreak Investigation Table has even less information that the FDA's Table. There is no case count, and no information about whether or not traceback, sample collection, facility investigation, or lab analysis has been conducted. In the past, E. coli outbreaks linked to ground beef have been numerous. This product can be contaminated because cows, which are ruminant animals, can carry the pathogen in their guts. The bacteria is excreted in feces, which can contaminate the animals' hides. When the cow is processed, that bacteria can contaminate cuts of meat. And when ground beef is produced from those whole cuts, the … [Read more...]
Five Outbreak Investigations on USDA Table; Two Are Active
There are five outbreak investigations on the USDA outbreak response table for 2021 only two are active. That table, like the FDA's CORE Investigation table, does not give much information to the public about the outbreaks. The USDA says that "The table does not include outbreak investigations that did not result in one more of the outcomes." Those outcomes include a recall of an FSIS-regulated product linked to the illnesses, a public health alert, and/or an after-action review report. The inactive outbreaks include an E. coli O145 outbreak that officials suspect is linked to ground beef; an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak of unknown origin that does have a link to a CDC Investigation Notice; and a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak of unknown origin. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak CDC … [Read more...]
