Is ground meat safe to eat? With all of the recalls and outbreaks linked to those products, many consumers are asking that question. Consumer Reports conducted a study and found that, in many cases, those products are contaminated with dangerous pathogens including Salmonella and E. coli. The numbers are alarming. Almost a third of the ground chicken packages they tested were contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. And every single strain was resistant to at least one antibiotic, adding to the fear of the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Consumer Reports also found a strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in a sample of ground beef that was so dangerous they alerted the Department of Agriculture, triggering a recall of more than 28,000 pounds of ground beef. Ground … [Read more...]
Ground Bison Recalled In Canada For E. coli O121 and O103
Northfork Bison Distributions, of Quebec, Canada, is recalling ground bison products in Canada because they may be contaminated with E. coli O121 and E. coli O103. These products are linked to an outbreak in the United States that has sickened at least 21 people, but there are no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products in Canada. Some of these products were recalled in the U.S. on July 16, 2019. The recalled products were sold nationwide at the retail level. The recalled products are Natural Frontier Foods Bison - ground meat in 208 gram packages, with UPC number 6 76842 00147 7; Sensations Extra Lean Ground Bison in 280 gram packages, with UPC number 6 23682 11159 0; and La Terre des Bisons Bison ground (lean) in 1.5 pound containers with UPC … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Bison Burgers E. coli O103 and O121 Outbreak
An E. coli O103 and O121 outbreak linked to Northfork Bison ground bison and Bison Burgers/Buffalo Burgers has sickened at least 21 people in 7 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These products are imported from Canada. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Florida (4), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (2), New York (9), and Pennsylvania (3). Eight people have been hospitalized. No cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, have been reported. Illness onset dates range from March 18 to June 18, 2019. The patient age range is from 6 to 79 years. Six people are sick with E. coli O103, 13 are sick with E. coli O121, and 2 people are sick with both of these pathogens. Epidemiologic and traceback information … [Read more...]
Northfork Bison Recalls Bison and Buffalo Burgers in Wake of E. coli Outbreak
Northfork Bison Distributors of St. Leonard, Quebec, Canada, is recalling its Bison Burgers (Buffalo Burgers) and Ground Bison (called Bison Ground) for possible E. coli O121 and O103 contamination. There is an outbreak associated with these recalled products. At least 21 people in 7 states are ill with these infections. The Bison Burgers (Buffalo Burgers) and Ground Bison were distributed across the eastern and central U.S. to institutions and retail outlets. All institutions that have Bison Burgers and Bison Ground in their inventory with the production dates of February 22, 2019 through April 30, 2019, should not serve it to customers, but return it to the distributors. For consumers, the recalled products are Buffalo Burgers (4 x 4 ounce) with expiration dates up to October … [Read more...]
E. coli O121 and O103 Outbreak Associated with Ground Bison Sickens 21
An E. coli O121 and O103 outbreak likely linked to ground bison supplied by Northfork Bison Distributors has sickened at least 21 people in 7 states. This investigation into this outbreak is being conducted by the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, since the supplier is in Québec, Canada. The CDC and FDA have analyzed traceback information to determine that ground bison supplied by Northfork Bison Distributors is the likely cause of this outbreak. The FDA regulates bison meat because authority to do so is not assigned specifically to the USDA in the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The states where ill persons live are Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Eight people have been … [Read more...]
