The Paradise Valley Market Inc. (Carnival Supermarket) at 870 3rd Ave. in Chula Vista, CA, late Thursday recalled approximately 35 pounds of ground beef products that may be adulterated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The lean and extra lean ground beef was produced and sold only on Sept. 1, 2016. The following products are subject to recall:
Twenty pounds of 15-percent lean ground beef product. The product would have been packaged to order and sold at the Carnival Supermarket meat counter in reddish plastic bags with a tied knot at the top.- Fifteen pounds of 7-percent extra lean ground beef product. The product would have been packaged to order and sold at the Carnival Supermarket meat counter in reddish plastic bags with a tied knot at the top.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. They should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. FSIS and the company issued the voluntary recall over concerns that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. The problem was discovered when FSIS received notification that a product sample collected at the firm tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. So far there have not been any confirmed reports of illness or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2-8 days (3-4 days on average) after exposure to the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under five years old and older adults. HUS is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume product that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)