Check Your Freezers: USDA issues Public Health Alert for some Ground Beef products

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert because of concerns that specific ground beef products may be adulterated with E. coli O26.

“The problem was discovered after a consumer submitted a retail package of ground beef produced by Empire Packing bearing a use or freeze by date of ‘December 24, 2021’ to a third-party laboratory for microbiological analysis. The consumer reported previously becoming ill but did not get tested for E coli. The third-party laboratory confirmed the ground beef sample was positive for E. coli O26,” according to the public alert from the FSIS.

The ground beef products were distributed to warehouses in Oregon and Washington and sold at retail locations. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase. However, there is concern that consumers may have unused portions of the ground beef in their freezers.

Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 STEC, such as O26 because it is harder to identify than STEC O157:H7. People can become ill from STECs 2–8 days (average of 3–4 days) after consuming the organism. Most people infected with STEC O26 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe.

Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O26 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It 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 ground beef 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, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.

The ground beef items for this public health alert were produced on Dec. 16 and 17, 2021 To view labels of the recalled products, click here.

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