Nebraska Beef expands ground beef recall

Nebraska Beef Ltd., one of the largest meatpackers in the United States, announced Friday that they are expanding a voluntary recall announced this week to include all material used to make approximately 5.3 million pounds of ground beef.

Federal investigators have linked Nebraska Beef's products to an outbreak of E. coli illnesses affecting 41 people in reported in Michigan and in Central and Northern Ohio.

The US Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said yesterday that the expanded recall includes all the meat company manufactured between May 16 and June 26 in Omaha.

FSIS said company’s practices were not sufficient to effectively control E. coli O157:H7, a potentially lethal bacterium. It stated that the outbreak happened because of some lots of products processed under insufficient sanitary conditions.

Some E. coli-contaminated ground beef was sold by Kroger, the Cincinnati-based supermarket chain which late last month recalled ground beef products in more than 20 states.

The second massive recall of 531,707 pounds of beef by Nebraska Beef follows investigations of the illnesses in Michigan and Ohio. The E. coli so far has infected at least 22 people since its identification on May 30.

The company said Monday that beef involved in the original recall were distributed for reprocessing or wholesaling in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. The company did not specify whether the 5.3 million pounds now being recalled went to any additional states.

While the beef being recalled was sold to wholesalers and distributors for further processing, the consumer labels likely will not include the "EST 19336" code that identifies Nebraska Beef.

The ground beef products were packaged in styrofoam trays and wrapped in clear cellophane, which were available at in-store service counters.

One of the chief culprits behind food borne diseases, Escherichia coli O157:H7 was first discovered in 1982. It is a potentially deadly bacterium that is characterized by the symptoms of stomach cramps, dehydration and bloody diarrhea. The infection generally clears up in 5 to 10 days time. However serious infection is known to cause kidney failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome, a major cause of infant mortality.

It spreads through ground beef, bean sprouts and leafy vegetables. The infection transmits easily through unhygienic conditions and personal habits. It affects mainly people with weak immune systems, such as the elderly or very young. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the E. coli sickens an estimated 73,000 people and kills 61 each year in the United States.

The USDA recommends beef consumers to take a few precautions for preparing ground beef that would be safe for consumption. Consumers preparing ground beef products should heed the following advice:

• Cook ground beef throughout at a safe temperature of 160 ºF.
• Use an accurate food thermometer to check that beef is cooked at an appropriate temperature, as color is not a reliable indicator.
• Eating a pink or red ground beef without first verifying the cooking temperature of 160 ºF is a significant risk factor for acquiring E.Coli bacterium.

Person-to-person transmission is possible if we are not in the habit of washing our hands thoroughly.