The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert regarding potential E. coli contamination in some ground beef products produced by Greater Omaha Packing Co. The affected products include patties and tubes of raw ground beef, and were made on March 28 with a “Use/Freeze by” date of April 22 and an establishment number of “EST. 960A.”
Although no recall has been initiated for the tainted beef products, the FSIS is advising caution as some of the contaminated meat was mistakenly used in ground beef products shipped into commerce. Both food service institutions and retailers received these affected meat products.
The type of E. coli found in the ground beef products is a potentially dangerous bacterium that can cause symptoms such as dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. The FSIS estimates that over one-third of all cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli illnesses in the U.S. are caused by contaminated products like these. However, to date, there have been no reported illnesses linked to the consumption of the affected ground beef products.
Consumers are advised to dispose of the contaminated meat in the trash or return it to the retailer for a refund. Greater Omaha Packing is a major producer of beef that exports its products to more than 70 countries worldwide, but this incident highlights the importance of proper food handling and testing procedures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
