JBS Tolleson ground beef recall affects numerous retailers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) posted an updated list of retail outlets that received recalled JBS Tolleson ground beef linked to a nationwide Salmonella outbreak.

The current list (link) shows the addresses of specific stores in Alabama, California, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, South Carolina, and Wyoming. It also shows that the ground beef products were shipped to all of the following:

• Savemart, FoodMaxx and Lucky stores in California;
• Harveys Supermarket and Winn Dixie Supermarket stores in Florida and Georgia;
• Sprouts locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

JBS Tolleson: huge recall

On Oct. 4, JBS Tolleson issued a recall of almost 7 million pounds (6,937,195) of ground beef after health officials said the products were the “probable source” of a Salmonella outbreak in which 57 people were sickened.

The illnesses were reported in 16 states between August 5 and September 6. Of the 57 victims, 14 have been hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. There have been no deaths.

The ground beef products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 267” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The recalled products were packaged between July 26 and September 7 and sold under brand names (link) such as Walmart, Cedar River Farms Natural Beef, Showcase, Showcase/Walmart, and JBS Generic.

Investigators were able to identify the source of the outbreak thanks to receipts and shopper cards from eight victims.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service posted an updated list of retailers receiving recalled JBS Tolleson ground beef. The products have been linked to a nationwide Salmonella outbreak in which 57 people have become ill, and 14 of them have been hospitalized.

JBS Tolleson: salmonellosis

People infected with Salmonella develop an illness called salmonellosis. The infection starts to produce diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 hours and three days after the bacteria has been ingested.

Most people don’t need to see a health-care professional, and they recover on their own within a week. Diarrhea can become so severe, however, that hospitalization becomes necessary.

JBS Tolleson: dehydration

If you can’t drink enough to replace the fluid you’re losing from persistent diarrhea, dehydration can occur and result in:

• decreased urine output
• dry mouth and tongue
• sunken eyes
• reduced production of tears.

When this occurs, the infection can spread to the blood (bacteremia), and Salmonella can result in severe consequences – even death – unless the patient is treated immediately.

JBS Tolleson: complications

If bacteremia occurs, the Salmonella bacteria can infect tissues throughout the body and produce the following conditions:

• meningitis, which affects the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord
• endocarditis, which affects the lining of the heart and its valves
• osteomyelitis, which affects the bones and bone marrow
• reactive arthritis, or Reiter’s syndrome, which causes eye irritation, painful urination, and painful joints.

Bacteremia also can weaken the lining of blood vessels, especially if a vascular graft has been performed.

People with the greatest risk of developing complications include the very young and the very old, and anyone with a compromised immune system, including pregnant women.

If a pregnant woman contracts salmonellosis, she can pass Salmonella onto her baby. If this happens, the baby can experience diarrhea and fever, and might even develop meningitis.

JBS Tolleson: warnings issued

The FSIS issued two warnings to consumers:

• “FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”
• “The only way to confirm that ground beef or other cuts of beef are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.”