One death and 17 illnesses were identified before a nationwide recall of potentially E. coli-contaminated ground beef by Cargill Meat Solutions, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The death and illnesses happened from July 5 to July 25. The ground beef products were produced and packaged on June 21.
As a result, on Sept. 19, Cargill Meat Solutions announced a nationwide recall of about 132,606 pounds of ground beef made from chuck possibly contaminated with Escherichia coli O26.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service cited concern that customers may have frozen the contaminated meat in their freezers and advises customers to check to see if their ground beef could be part of this recall.
The USDA considers this a high risk situation.
The FSIS learned of the E. coli investigation on Aug. 16. The FSIS, Centers for Disease Control and other state public health and agriculture partners found that the beef was the probably source of the illnesses.
The ground beef products, produced and packaged on June 21, have the number “EST. 86R” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection.
This recall followsa previous recall of Cargill Meat Solutions ground beef for E. coli was announced on Aug. 23, naming only one possibly contaminated product:
- 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL 93/7 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with “Use/Frz. By Sep 05” on the chub label and a “PACK DATE 08/16/2018” on the box label.
At that time, no adverse reactions had been reported.
The following products have now been recalled due to possible E. coli contamination:
- 3-lb. chubs of “OUR CERTIFIED 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with a USE
OR FREEZE BY JUL/11/18 and case code 00228749057646. - 3-lb. chubs of “OUR CERTIFIED 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with a USE
OR FREEZE BY JUL/11/18 and case code 00228749002653. - 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with a Use/Frz. By Jul
11 and case code 00228749089098. - 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with a Use/Frz. By Jul
11 and case code 90028749002751. - 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL 81/19 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF” with a Use/Frz. By Jul
11 and case code 90028749003536. - 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND” with a Use/Frz. By Jul
11 and case code 00228749003568. - 10-lb. chubs of “EXCEL CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND” with a
Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749402773. - 20-lb. chubs of “EXCEL 81/19 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF COMBO” with a
Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749073935. - 10-lb. chubs of “Sterling Silver CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND” with a
Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 00228749702416. - 10-lb. chubs of “CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE
GRIND” with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749802405. - 10-lb. chubs of “CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE
GRIND” with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 with case code 00228749802413. - 10-lb. chubs of “Fire River Farms CLASSIC GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND”
with a USE/FREEZE BY: 07/11/2018 with case code 90734730297241.
