Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has recalled about 131,300 pounds of ground beef that was distributed in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin and other states; and is possibly contaminated with E. coli — an organism with certain strains that can cause food poisoning.
The ground beef products being recalled include Kroger-brand ground beef; Butcher’s Brand beef and generic label beef, which were all packaged August 23, 2011.
The generic beef was distributed in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
The Kroger beef was distributed in Tennessee and Indiana.
The Butcher’s beef was distributed in North and South Carolina.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the problem Wednesday when Ohio health authorities reported a family in Butler County became ill with E. coli. Ground beef in the family’s home tested positive for the bacteria.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls.
Ironically, harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2,and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.
The following products are recalled:
5-pound packages of Kroger-brand ground beef packed in 40-pound cases, with a product code of D-0211 QW, which was distributed in Tennessee and Indiana
3-pound packages of Butcher’s Brand beef packed in 36-pound cases with the code D-0211 LWIF, which was distributed in North and South Carolina
3-pound packages of generic labeled beef packed in 36-pound cases with a product code D-0211 LWI, which was sold in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
The ground beef had a “best before” date of September 12 and the label number 245D inked on the packages. The beef had a 73/27 lean-to-fat ratio,
The ground beef was distributed to The Kroger Co., Food Lion, Inc.; SAV-A-LOT, Spectrum Foods, Inc., Supervalu and the Defense Commissary Agency.
See also …
www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/