According to Consumer Reports, Do not Eat Ground Beef to Recall 6.9 Million Pounds

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If you have in your freezer ground beef or sirloin toppings, purchased from mid-July to the end of September this year, Consumer Reports recommends that you do not eat them for the moment.

This opinion comes from an alert issued Thursday by the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). JBS USA, one of the country's largest meat producers, recalled more than 6.9 million pounds of beef, due to possible salmonella contamination. The meat came from the company's facility in Tolleson, Arizona, and was produced from July 21 to September 7.

Similar to Cargill's ground beef recall due to E's fears. Coli, FSIS provided a list of products and labels to avoid, including Cedar River Farms, Comnor Perfect Choice, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms Natural and Showcase / Walmart. . This current recall involves nearly 50 times more ground beef than the Cargill recall earlier this fall, enough to make over 17 million 6 ounce burgers.

The last use / sell date for currently listed products was September 27th. No potentially affected meat should still be on store shelves. However, the FSIS notes that consumers can still have them in their freezers.

CR Council

FSIS suggests that consumers dispose of or return their products with the labels listed or with an USDA inspection code from the EST. 267.

But much of the recalled ground beef has been distributed wholesale to retailers and has likely been repackaged, says Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, Consumer Reports' advocacy division.

Since the new packaging does not carry the initial label or the establishment code, consumers may not be able to tell if the beef they purchased is part of the recall. And consumers who often repack the beef before putting it in the freezer do not know if the meat they have frozen is affected.

"The FSIS has not yet provided a complete list of retailers who have received the product, and their list of products will not help you if you buy beef that has been repackaged," says Halloran. "If you have products in your freezer and you know that this is part of the ground beef recall, discard them or return them to the store. But if you are not sure, I would give the same advice as a friend: you can throw it away or wait to see if we get more information, but for the moment, do not eat ground beef in your freezer. bought from mid-July to the end of September. "

Limited information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 57 people in 16 states have been infected with tainted beef between August 5 and September 6. Fourteen of them were hospitalized.

The people who became ill were in Arizona, California, Colorado, in Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The FSIS website indicates that beef has been distributed in more than 20 states, including Texas, California and New York.

After one of the victims provided a store receipt on September 19, the FSIS was able to trace the disease using ground beef from JBS. In total, FSIS now has eight store receipts for Salmonella victims for ground beef produced by JBS.

When asked about potential retailers involved, a FSIS spokesperson said that he would eventually be posted on his reminder web page, but he declined to give a deadline. FSIS sent Consumer Reports back to JBS.

JBS did not provide CR with a list of retailers. A spokesperson said: "Our priority at all times is consumer safety. We work closely with the USDA to ensure that all potentially affected products are removed from stores and homes. "

Representative Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Criticized FSIS on Tuesday, saying:

"In the space of just a few weeks, there have been two major nationwide recalls related to ground beef. This is a direct consequence of the abdication of the USDA's regulatory responsibility. FSIS has not updated the safety standards for ground beef that were originally set in 1996 and has not provided any deadline for doing so despite the announcement. made in 2014 that he would act. "

How to stay safe

Ground meat is particularly susceptible to contamination because bacteria that may be on the surface of the meat before processing can mix, and there may be meat from many animals in the meat. one package. That's why, in addition to avoiding potentially contaminated ground beef, it is also prudent to cook it at an internal temperature of 160 ° F, which is generally considered average cooking. This is the best way to kill salmonella, E. coli and other dangerous bacteria.

The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours following the consumption of a contaminated product. The disease usually lasts four to seven days. Most people recover without treatment. In some cases, the diarrhea can be so severe that the patient has to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop serious illness.

The CDC recommends consulting a doctor if you have a high fever, bloody diarrhea or severe vomiting, or if the diarrhea lasts more than three days.

Editor's note: This story was updated on October 5, when the recall went from 6.5 million pounds to more than 6.9 million pounds.

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