Ground beef recalls begin in wake of E. coli outbreak

Two companies have announced ground beef recalls in response to a nationwide E. coli outbreak.

The ground beef recalls come on the heels of the latest outbreak update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which shows 156 illnesses in 10 states. Twenty of those victims have been hospitalized.

Two companies have announced ground beef recalls in response to a nationwide E. coli outbreak in which 156 people have been sickened, and 20 of them hospitalized.

Ground beef recalls:
Bulk packages

Both recalls, implemented because the products might be contaminated with E. coli O103, were announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). They are:

• K2D Foods – doing business as (DBA) Colorado Premium Foods, a Carrolton, Georgia, establishment – recalled approximately 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products that were produced on March 26, March 29, April 2, April 5, April 10, and April 12 (view labels):
  • Two 24-pound, vacuum-packed packages in cardboard boxes containing raw “GROUND BEEF PUCK” with “Use Thru” dates of 4/14/19, 4/17/19, 4/20/19, 4/23/19, 4/28/19, and 4/30/19. The products bear establishment number “EST. 51308” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
• Grant Park Packing – a Franklin Park, Illinois, establishment – recalled approximately 53,200 pounds of raw ground beef products produced on October 30-31, 2018, and November 1, 2018 (view labels):
  • 40-pound, bulk cardboard boxes of “North Star Imports & Sales, LLC. 100% GROUND BEEF BULK 80% LEAN/ 20% FAT” marked “FOR INSTITUTIONAL USE ONLY” with lot code GP.1051.18 and pack dates 10/30/2018, 10/31/2018, and 11/01/2018. The products bear establishment number “EST. 21781” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to Minnesota for further distribution and Kentucky for institutional use.

Ground beef recalls:
Outbreak sure to grow

The outbreak first made news March 28, when the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDH) said it was investigating at least 20 E. coli illnesses from an unknown food source. Then, on April 4, the CDC announced that it was joining the FSIS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and numerous state organizations to investigate the mysterious outbreak, which was at 72 cases.

On April 12, ground beef finally was revealed as the food source in the CDC’s outbreak update, which showed that the numbers had risen to 109 people sickened and 17 hospitalized.

As of the most recent update, issued April 23, Kentucky remains the hardest hit, reporting 65 cases; Tennessee (41) and Georgia (33) are the only other states with double-digit cases. Because it takes an average of two to three weeks for an illness to be reported, however, it’s more than likely that this outbreak will continue to grow.

Notable: The CDC update says illnesses began on dates from March 1 to April 7, and ill people range in age from less than 1 year old to 83 (the median age is 19). Half of the victims (78) are female.

Ground beef recalls:
Symptoms of E. coli

Anyone can become sick by eating ground beef contaminated with E. coli, and illness symptoms are similar to those of other types of food poisoning, including: