More than a hundred thousand pounds of ground beef are now being recalled due to a possible contamination of the E. coli bacteria.
On Sunday, Nov 1, the US Department of Agriculture released a statement, saying All American Meats Incorporated, which is based in Nebraska, has voluntarily recalled 167,427 pounds of ground beef after a testing of a sample last Oct 30 yielded positive results of the bacteria. During the investigation, the USDA team in charge for the testing was able to trace the source back to the Nebraska company.
The recalled ground beef was produced on Oct 16. They were then packed by pounds (60 lbs or 80 lbs) and were finely grounded. They had a sell-by date of Nov 3, 2015, with different case codes. All of them had an establishment number of EST. 20420, which can be found inside the mark of inspection by the USDA. The ground beef is currently distributed in various retail stores across the country.
Although there have been no reported cases of hospitalization and death in relation to the ground beef contamination so far, the public is still advised to watch out for possible symptoms including abdominal cramps, dehydration, and diarrhea with some presence of blood around 3 to 4 days after the consumption of the contaminated beef.
Many people survive an E. coli bacterial infection, but children and older adults are considered high risk since the condition may deteriorate or complicate, including developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a type of renal failure.
For those who still have the recalled ground beef, the meat may be thrown away or returned to the retail store.
The USDA also advises the public to prepare and cook raw meat products properly such as cooking them at temperatures not below 160 degrees Fahrenheit to make sure all bacteria present are killed. The temperature can be monitored using a food thermometer.
For more information about the recall, click here.
