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Texas Naturals Meats is recalling almost 500 pounds of raw frozen ground beef that was produced almost a year ago because its own tests this week returned positive results for E. coli O103.

The recalled “Green Fields Farms Rogers Texas Ground Beef” sparked concern at the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) because its expiration date is more than two years away — Aug. 8, 2020. The recall notice did not indicate whether any illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled hamburger.

“FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers,” according to the recall notice posted shortly after midnight June 20. “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.

“The problem was discovered on June 19 by FSIS during routine inspection activities. The product was tested by the establishment and found to be positive for (E. coli) O103 under their sampling program.”

There is little labeling information on the 1-pound plastic bags that can be used to identify the recalled ground beef. The plain white labels have black printing with a production date of Aug. 8, 2017, and an expiration caste of Aug. 8, 2020. The labels say “COOK USE ONLY” and have the instruction “DO NOT refreeze after defrosting.” 

The recalled ground beef also has the establishment number “EST. 34449” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection on the labels. The raw, frozen hamburger was shipped to a retailer who sold it at a farmer’s market in Roger, TX, according to the FSIS recall notice.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled ground beef and developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose E. coli infections, which can be confused with other illnesses. Antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended for E. coli infections.

Symptoms usually begin two to four days after exposure. Symptoms usually include diarrhea which is often bloody, and vomiting for most people. Most healthy adults recover within a week. However, high risk groups can develop life-threatening conditions, including kidney failure.

High-risk groups include children younger than 5 years old, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.   

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