22,737 Pounds of Beef Recalled for Possible E. Coli

Tens of thousands of pounds of National Beef ground beef are being recalled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says a routine inspection found E. coli O157:H7.

The 10-pound packages of ground beef and ground chuck were shipped to various institutions and retail establishments, according to the FSIS in a release Tuesday, but a list of those destinations has not yet been released. The FSIS said in the same release that it would publish a list of retail distributors when it was available.

“The ground beef was produced and shipped in clear, 10 pound chubs and was shipped to a limited number of wholesale and food service distributors and military commissaries in approximately 70 lbs. boxes,” according to the release on National Beef’s website.

The products being recalled have a “USE BY/SELL BY DATE” of June 14, 2013:

• 10 lb. packages of “National Beef” 80/20 Coarse Ground Chuck, package code “0481.”

No reports of illness have been reported, according to FSIS and National Beef.

The concern is that consumers may have the been in their freezers.

“E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps,” according to the FSIS. Most people recover within a week, but others experience more severe symptoms. Older adults and those younger than 5 are most likely to develop those symptoms.

More Resources:

• E. Coli Information From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• E. Coli O157:H7 Information from the Food and Drug Administration