More than 60 tons of ground beef products from a New Jersey firm have been recalled due to possible E. coli contamination, the Agriculture Department claims.
The products distributed by Lakeside Refrigerated Services were shipped nationwide, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said Monday. The department’s food safety and inspection service discovered the issue during routine testing of the products, it said.
Distributed by the New Jersey-based Lakeside Refrigerated Services, the products under investigation include ground beef patties and loose ground beef sold at retailers, including Walmart and Winn-Dixie, under brand names such as Thomas Farms, Naturally Better, Nature’s Reserve, and Marketside Butcher. Several of the items are labeled “grass-fed” or “Wagyu.”
All the meats subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 46841” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The complete list of products and product codes (PDF) for the beef items that are subject to recall, as well as the labels for the ground beef products (PDF) are on the USDA’s website.
Because the products were made between February 1 and April 8, 2022, health authorities are worried that some of the ground beef may already be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. These items should not be eaten. They should be disposed of immediately or returned to the place of purchase.
Although no documented cases of disease or adverse reactions have been reported, the bacteria found (Escherichia coli O103) can cause serious illness, including diarrhea (frequently bloody) and vomiting. Symptoms may emerge two to eight days after the organism is consumed.
Some infections can lead to life-threatening illnesses, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a kind of kidney failure that is most common in children under the age of five, older individuals, and people with compromised immune systems. High blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic issues can all be symptoms of severe sickness.
Many infected with E. coli show no symptoms or infections resolve without medical treatment within five to seven days. In general, recommended treatment involves intensive rehydration and other supportive care.
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Sources: Breaking911, Nbcnews, Nypost