62,000 pounds of raw beef recalled nationwide for possible E. coli contamination
You’ve made your party plans, your travel plans, your kickback and grill plans for Memorial Day.
One more thing.
You better check your meat.
Aurora Packing Company, Inc., an Illinois establishment with nationwide distribution, recalled about 62,112 pounds of raw beef products because they could be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announcement Wednesday.
That’s a lot of steaks.
On the label
The raw beef products were packaged on April 19 and shipped nationwide for further distribution and processing, the USDA said.
The products subject to recall have the establishment number “EST. 788” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection circle.
The problem was found during sample testing.
As for Thursday, there haven’t been any confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to anyone eating the beef.
What is E. coli?
E. coli is a large and diverse group of bacteria that can be potentially deadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. E. coli can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps between two and eight days after exposure. Some strains can cause urinary tract infections, diarrhea and pneumonia.
If you have these symptoms, call your doctor.
If you bought meat to freeze and use later, you ought to check the packages for the coding, the USDA suggests. Toss the meat or return to place of purchase.
For a list of the Aurora meat products or more information, visit the website www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
How to cook meat safely
FSIS advises that to safely prepare raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, you should cook to a temperature of 165°F. Use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature to make sure the meat is cooked hot enough to kill bacteria. The USDA has a chart listing appropriate safe temperatures for various products like beef, chicken, eggs and casseroles at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.
This story was originally published May 23, 2019 at 4:05 PM with the headline "62,000 pounds of raw beef recalled nationwide for possible E. coli contamination."
