Cargill Recalls Ground Beef Due to E. Coli

According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cargill Meat Solutions Corp out of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania is issuing a recall on around 1,084,384 million pounds of ground beef and ground beef products. The recall was done voluntarily and is due to the possible contamination by E. coli O157:H7

As an identification marking, each package or label has the establishment number 'Est.9400' on the inside of the USDA inspection mark. It is being asked that consumers look in their refrigerators and freezers to identify the products that they have and to make sure none of them have this marking. This is due to the fact that the expiration date on many of the products is expiring, and there is no way to know how much or to whom it was sold.

If the product is found, consumers are asked to return them to the store where they were purchased or to throw them away. The list of products affected is long and as such they are not listed here. If you want to see a list of possible contamination, please click on the link at the bottom of the article. The link is titled Pennsylvania Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli Contamination. Unfortunately this list does not include all contamination. This is due to the fact that some of the ground beef, chuck, and sirloin was sent for further processing and put in other packages that do not have the Est. 9400 number on it.

The beef that is being recalled was processed between October 8^th and 11^th of 2007. It was sent to retail stores across the nation.

The possible contamination was found by FSIS during an investigation that was started after positive E. coli was found at another facility. Other recalls on food have been issued as recently as the day before this one. Annex Foods issued a recall on around 4,374 pounds of beef and chicken products due to adulteration. On the same day General Mills issued a recall on pizza products due to E. coli.