If you eat beef in your family, be warned: Mountain West Food Group has recalled approximately 2,855 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O26. The announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Dec. 28.
The Heyburn, Idaho company, has recalled 16-oz. (1-lb.) vacuum-sealed packages containing “FORWARD FARMS GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF” with “USE OF FREEZE BY 01/13/26 EST 2083” printed on the side of the packaging. It was packaged Dec. 16 and was shipped to distributors here and in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Pennsylvania for further distribution to retailers.
Check the date (Image: FSIS)
The presence of E. coli O26 in the batch was discovered during routine FSIS testing and the sampling. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of the recalled products although anyone concerned about an illness in relation to the the beef should contact a healthcare provider.
E. coli O26, like the more common E. coliO157:H7, can make become ill from 28 days (the average of 34 days) after exposure to the organism.
Most infected people develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. The illness is generally treated with rehydration and other supportive care; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, although in rare cases can develop a more severe infection, includng Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and those with weakened immune systems. Parents should watch for easy bruising, changed in skin color and decreased urine and seek emergency medical care immediately if these symptoms arise.
The food safety department urges families to check freezers for the potentially tainted meat. Do not consume it. Instead, thrown the meat way away or return it to the store where you purchased it.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the list of stores who received the meat for distributionwill be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.
