Public health alert issued over ground beef: E. coli contamination possible

Marley Malenfant , Austin American-Statesman

You might not want to cook that meatloaf anytime soon. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert for some ground beef products produced in March and shipped to food service institutions and retailers nationwide that might be contaminated with E. coli.

There is no recall for these items because they are no longer available for purchase, the food safety service said.

Here’s what we know:

What beef product was affected?

The problem was discovered by the Greater Omaha Packing Co. while it was conducting an inventory of some product that was on hold because it was positive for E. coli, according to the FSIS.

The company said it found that it had "inadvertently used a portion of the contaminated beef to produce ground beef products that they subsequently shipped into commerce."

The raw ground beef items were produced March 28, 2024, have a packaging date of "032824" and have a use/freeze by date of April 22, 2024. The affected products also have an establishment number of "EST. 960A" that can be found inside the USDA mark of inspection.

There have not been any confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of the beef, and anyone concerned about an illness is recommended to contact their health care provider.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert for some ground beef products that might be contaminated with E. coli.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a public health alert for some ground beef products that might be contaminated with E. coli.

What beef products are under a health alert?

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, these are the products under health alert.

What is e coli?

According to MayoClinc.org, Escherichia coli, or E. coli, bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless or just cause relatively brief diarrhea. But a few strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.

Exposure to E. coli comes from contaminated water or undercooked food. Here some symptoms:

  • Diarrhea, which can range from mild and watery to severe and bloody

  • Stomach cramping, pain or tenderness

  • Nausea and vomiting, in some people

The timing of the Illness varies. You might become ill as soon as one day after exposure to more than a week later.

Emily DeLetter of USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ground beef health alert: Products may be contaminated with E. coli

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