The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a massive beef recall due to concerns about contamination from the deadly bacteria E. coli O157:H7. Utah-based Swiss Beef Co. is recalling 99,260 pounds of raw, non-intact ground beef products, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Saturday.
It’s the second-largest recall in as many months for Swiss Beef parent company JBS Tolleson, which recalled 6.5 million pounds of ground beef amid concerns about salmonella contamination in October. Across 16 states initially, at least 57 people reported getting sick after consuming the salmonella-tainted beef. On November 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that the outbreak has now spread to 25 states and sickened at least 246 people, 59 of whom have been hospitalized.
The products subject to the current E. Coli-related recall include numerous sized packages of plastic-wrapped coarse ground beef bearing the establishment number “EST. 628” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items being recalled were shipped to retail and food service distributors in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
So far, the USDA says that there are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products being recalled in the E. coli investigation. But as ever, anyone concerned about becoming ill due to consuming these products should contact a healthcare provider.
