Cargill Meat Solutions enacts a product recall in the US

US-based Cargill Meat Solutions has announced a product recall for its ground beef products due to possible Escherichia coli (E.Coli) O26 contamination.

The recall is estimated to affect 132,606lb of beef products, which were made from the chuck portion of the cow.

E.coli O26 is a serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Those that eat meat with high levels of E.coli O26 may become ill for up to eight days.

The ground beef items subject to recall were produced and packaged on 21 June this year and bear an establishment number EST. 86R inside the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) mark of inspection. The affected products were shipped to retail locations across the US.

On 16 August, the company notified the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of an investigation into E. coli O26 illnesses. The FSIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and public health and agriculture partners determined that the raw ground beef was the probable source of the reported illnesses.

FSIS also found that its trace-back information showed that the affected patients consumed ground beef products purchased at various retail stores that were supplied by Cargill Meat Solutions.

The epidemiological investigation identified 17 illnesses and one death, with illness onset dates ranging from 05 July to 25 July this year.

The FSIS is concerned that some products may still be in consumers’ refrigerators and freezers and urged customers concerned about an injury or illness to contact a healthcare provider.

The recall has been categorised as Class I, which indicates that use of the product could cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.