One Death Reported with a Cargill Ground Beef Products Recall

Cargill Meat Solutions, in Fort Morgan, Colo. is recalling approximately 132,606 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the carcass that may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ground beef items were produced and packaged on June 21, 2018. The following products are subject to recall: (Products List) [View Labels (PDF only)]

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 86R” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide. The Agency requests that you check your freezer for stored product.

On Aug. 16, 2018, FSIS was notified of an investigation of E. coli O26 illnesses. FSIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state public health and agriculture partners determined that raw ground beef was the probable source of the reported illnesses. The investigation identified 17 illnesses and one death with illness onset dates ranging from July 5 to July 25, 2018.

People can become ill from STECs 2–8 days (average of 3–4 days) after exposure to the organism. Consumers are encouraged to use a meat thermometer and make sure that the temperature is at lease 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is necessary to kill bacteria that can cause illness.