An Oregon company is recalling more than 14,000 pounds of ground meat after beef trim used in its production tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.
Interstate Meat Distributors Inc. of Clackamas, OR, notified the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service of the positive test result, which was detected by a third-party lab. The meat company distributed the implicated group beef and ground beef-pork blend to retailers in Oregon, Washington and Utah.
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” according to the recall notice.
“There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.”
The recalled meat products were produced and packaged on Feb. 10 and 12. They have the establishment number “965” printed inside the USDA inspection mark on the labels.
There is concern consumers may have unused portions of the recalled ground meat in their homes. To identify the recalled products, consumers should look for the following information on ground meat packages from Interstate Meat Distributors:
- 2.25-lb. wrapped packages of fresh “ALL NATURAL EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF” containing package code 04118 and with 96% lean and 4% fat on the label.
- 2.25-lb. wrapped packages of fresh “ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF CHUCK” containing package code 04118 and with 80% lean and 20% fat on the label.
- 2.25-lb. wrapped packages of fresh “GROUND BEEF AND PORK BLEND” containing package code 04118 and with 80% lean and 20% fat on the label.
- 2.50-lb. bag containing 10 quarter pound frozen “BROTHERS CHOICE 85% LEAN ANGUS GROUND BEEF PATTIES” containing package code 04318.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Symptoms usually develop two to eight days after exposure to the microorganism.
Some people, especially those in high-risk groups, develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition is most common in children under 5 years old and older adults.
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