The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a nationwide recall for 167,427 pounds of ground beef from an Omaha, Nebraska manufacturer Monday.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that surveillance tests came back positive for E. Coli in the meat Oct. 30 and were traced back to the producer. Although there have been no confirmed reports of E. Coli, the USDA is concerned that some people may have it in the their freezers.
The manufacturer, All American Meats, supplies processed meats nationally. In grocery stores, it would be repackaged and sold to consumers.
Many residents of Kenai and Soldotna may not have had much opportunity to buy the recalled meat, though.
Representatives from Safeway, Fred Meyer and Three Bears said none of companies buy meat from All American Meats.
The USDA classified the recall as a Class I, which means that consuming the product will likely lead to a health consequence or death.
E. Coli, caused by bacteria, can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps approximately 3-4 days after exposure. Most people recover within a week, but some can develop kidney failure, most commonly in children younger than 5 years old and in older adults, according to the USDA.
“There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products,” stated a news release.
The products included in the recall were produced on Oct. 16 and have an expiration date of Nov. 3. They include several 80-pound and 60-pound boxes of ground beef of various lean and fat percentages.
Anyone who finds they have the meat should throw it out or return it to the place of purchase, according to the USDA. The agency will post a list of all the locations that sold the meat on its website in the upcoming days.
Reach Elizabeth Earl at elizabeth.earl@peninsulaclarion.com.
