National Beef Packing Company, based in Kansas, has issued a recall for ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli. More than 50,000 pounds of beef, produced on July 18th was shipped in 40 to 60 pound cases to retailers and wholesalers across the country. It’s unknown whether any of the beef made it to the shelves to be sold to consumers.
A routine inspection by the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Service (FSIS) discovered the presence of E. coli; a dangerous bacterium that can cause serious illness if infected beef is not cooked properly.
The FSIS says cooking raw meat products thoroughly kills harmful bacteria that could cause foodborne illness. This includes fresh or frozen meat. No illnesses have been reported in relation to the consumption of the recalled ground beef products.