If you’ve purchased ground beef recently, there is a chance it has been recalled! The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety just announced that Lakeside Refrigerated Services, a Swedesboro, N.J. establishment is recalling about 42, 922 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The possible raw ground beef products that are effected were produced on June 1, 2020.
The contaminated raw ground beef was shipped nationwide to major retailers and can be found under the brand names Markestside Butcher and Thomas Farms. The affected packages were packaged on June 1, 2020, and feature an establishment number, EST. 46841, inside the USDA mark of inspection on each package.
According the statement from the USDA the recalled packages include:
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This recalled is classified as a Class I recall. According to the USDA’s website, this means “This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
The problem was discovered during routine food safety inspections. So far no customers have reported illness as a result of eating the meat. That said, anyone who is concerned or thinks they may have the illness should contact a healthcare provider right away.
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. The symptoms typically begin about three to four days after exposure. Most people recover within a week, but some people can develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This condition can happen to anyone but it’s most common in children under 5 years old as well as older adults. These symptoms include easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.
So it’s time to go check your fridge and freezer and see if you have any of these affected products. If you do have raw ground beef that is a part of this recall, the USDA recommends that you should throw it away immediately or return to the place of purchase.
ICYMI: This isn’t the first ground beef recall this year. Earlier this year 2,020 pounds of ground beef were recalled due to possible foreign matter contamination.
