How Consumers Can Check if Meat is Part of Ground Beef Recall

Consumers may have ground beef in their freezer that is part of a nationwide ground beef recall issued earlier this month due to E. coli contamination.

All American Meats, Inc. of Omaha, Neb. recalled 167,427 pounds of ground beef after an in-commerce surveillance program found a sample tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 on Oct. 30, 2015. While the ground beef recall was issued on Nov. 1, 2015, as of one week later there remained no retail distribution list available.

Kristen Felicione, public affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the agency has been waiting for the company to supply the retail distribution list so it can be posted to the website and that a recall is considered nationwide when it involves twelve or more states.

All American Meats spokesman Brian Brislen had no information available on the distribution chain, including whether the meat was sold directly to the public, restaurants or institutions; or wholesale to retailers who would repackage it for sale to consumers. He said only that the E. coli contamination was found through routine testing somewhere down the distribution chain and that there were no reports of illness associated with the products.

According to the ground beef recall notice, the following items bear establishment number “EST. 20420” inside the USDA mark of inspection, were produced at the plant on Oct. 16, 2015 and shipped to retail locations nationwide:

• 80-lb. (approximate weight) boxes of “Ground Beef 80% Lean 20% Fat (Fine Grind)” with Sell By Date 11-03-2015 and case code 62100.
• 80-lb. (approximate weight) boxes of “Ground Beef 73% Lean 27% Fat (Fine Grind)” with Sell By Date 11-03-2015 and case code 60100.
• 60-lb. (approximate weight) boxes of “Ground Beef Round 85% Lean 15% Fat (Fine Grind)” with Sell By Date 11-03-2015 and case code 68560.
• 60-lb. (approximate weight) boxes of “Ground Beef Chuck 81% Lean 19% Fat (Fine Grind)” with Sell By Date 11-03-2015 and case code 68160.
• 60-lb. (approximate weight) boxes of “Ground Beef Chuck 81% Lean 19% Fat (Fine Grind)” with Sell By Date 11-03-2015 and case code 63130.
• 80-lb. (approximate weight) boxes of “Ground Beef Chuck 81% Lean 19% Fat (Fine Grind)” with Sell By Date 11-03-2015 and case code 63100.

That the ground beef recall list only includes 60-80 pound boxes may lead consumers to believe smaller packages of ground beef they have in their freezer are safe, when in fact they may be affected.

Felicione advised that even without the retail distribution list, consumers can determine if their ground beef may be affected by looking for the establishment number, which is assigned to the plant where the product was produced, and sell by date. When wholesale lots of ground beef are repackaged into smaller retail packaging, they must carry the establishment number and sell by date of the original package.

All packages affected by the All American Beef ground beef recall will be labeled with EST. 20420 and SELL BY 11-03-2015.

Consumers are urged not to consume these products, and to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

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 to 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.