Jersey Shore, PA-based Clair D. Thompson & Sons Inc. recalled 700 pounds of ground beef Wednesday after a sample tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The ground beef was produced and packaged on Sept. 27 and 28, and Oct. 2. The company shipped the recalled ground beef to “institutions in New York and Pennsylvania,” according to the FSIS recall notice posted Wednesday.
Subject to recall are:
- 5-pound plastic bags of “Thompson’s GROUND BEEF.”
- 10-pound plastic bags of “Thompson’s GROUND BEEF.”
The recalled products have the establishment number “EST. 9681” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The problem was discovered Monday when the firm notified FSIS that the firm’s sample of ground beef had tested positive for E. coli O157: H7 by a third party lab. There had been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products as of the posting of the recall notice.
E. coli O157: H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps that usually begin two to eight days after exposure to the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
This condition can occur among people of any age, but is most common in children younger than 5, older adults, pregnant women and people with suppressed immune systems. HUS is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.
FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in customers’ freezers. Customers who purchased the Clair D. Thompson & Sons ground beef are urged not to consume it. The meat should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.
Sources: Food Safety News