New year, new food recall. On January 6, the Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a ground beef recall due to possible E. coli contamination.
The recall applies to over 28,000 pounds of ground beef products that originated at the Interstate Meat Dist. Inc. facility in Oregon on December 20 and were then shipped to stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The FSIS initiated the recall after a package of ground beef was purchased and tested positive for E. coli by a third party laboratory. E. coli is not something you want to mess with. Exposure to the bacteria can be deadly, according to the FSIS. For most, it causes dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and cramps for an average of three to four days after exposure. Most people recover fully within a week, but some (most commonly children under five and older adults) can develop kidney failure. If you think you’ve been exposed to the bacteria, contact your doctor immediately.
The ground beef recall impacts several well-known brands sold by major supermarkets, including Walmart, Kroger, and Albertson’s. (You can see a full list of the effected products and their labels here.)
If you’ve bought ground beef from these brands recently and worried the ground beef in your fridge or freezer might be impacted, check the establishment number. The recalled beef has the number EST. 965 “inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed next to the time stamp and use or freeze by date,” per the FSIS recall statement.
If you have any of the recalled beef, throw it out or take it back to the store where you purchased it for a refund, ASAP. And think, if you’ve been looking for a sign to try a plant-based diet, this may be your moment.
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