A recall has been issued for approximately 6,700 pounds of uncooked beef patties and ground beef that were made by an Illinois-based firm.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) labeled the strain of E. coli that may have contaminated the products as a “potentially deadly bacterium,” which prompted Valley Meats LLC to issue a recall.
According to the FSIS, the 6,768 pounds of beef that were recalled were all packaged in box containers of a specific size and had the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection mark “EST. 5712” on them.
Distributor facilities received the recalled meat in four states and was subsequently shipped to restaurants and “other institutional users,” as per the FSIS. The distributor locations were situated in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan.
“FSIS is concerned that some products may be in institutional or restaurant refrigerators or freezers,” it stated. “We strongly advise establishments and restaurants not to serve these products. These goods ought to be discarded or brought back to the original retailer.”
The USDA-affiliated FSIS stated that there have been no known negative responses to the possibly contaminated ground beef or patties.
At the time of publication, FOX Business has not heard back from Valley Meats regarding the recall, despite reaching out to them for more information.
According to the FSIS, the recall was prompted by Valley Meats informing it that samples it had sent to an outside lab had shown positive results for E. coli 0157:H7.
It is the “most common strain to cause illness in people,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, about E. coli.
According to the FSIS, those infected with the bacteria may experience cramping in the abdomen, bloody diarrhea, and dehydration. According to the organization, some people may experience hemolytic uremic syndrome as a result of the strain; this condition primarily affects the elderly and young children.
Every year, around 70,000 illnesses are caused by E. Coli 0157:H7, according to Johns Hopkins.