8-05-2021 3:27am

Press Release: More Than A Quarter Million Pounds of Tainted Beef Recalled

S RENEE GREENE Editor

FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2021 – Greater Omaha Packing, an Omaha, Neb. establishment, is recalling approximately 295,236 pounds of raw beef products intended for non-intact use that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The raw beef products intended for non-intact use were produced on July 13, 2021. The complete list of products and product codes for the beef products that are subject to recall can be found here.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 960A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were distributed to further processors in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska.

The problem was discovered when FSIS collected a routine product sample that confirmed positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume beef products that have been cooked to a temperature of 145°F and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes and ground meat products that have been cooked to a temperature of 160°F. The only way to confirm that the beef product is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/safetempchart.

Consumers and members of the media with questions about the recall can contact Angel Besta, Vice President of Technical Resources, Greater Omaha Packing at (402) 515-2727.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.