USDA Recalls More Than 28,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Due to E. Coli Concerns

Samantha Leffler
·4 min read

If you've got some ground beef in the refrigerator or freezer, you may want to take a look at the label. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, Interstate Meat Dist. Inc. is recalling more than 28,000 pounds of ground beef products due to E. coli concerns.

The Oregon-based brand initiated the recall on January 6, and says approximately 28,356 pounds of ground beef products have been impacted. The items were produced on December 20, 2021, and all of them bear the establishment number "EST. 965" inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed next to the timestamp and "use by" or "freeze by" date.

Additionally, the items were shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and were sold at popular grocery store chains including Albertsons and Walmart.

A package of raw ground beef on a yellow background + recall
A package of raw ground beef on a yellow background + recall

Vladimir Mironov

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The complete list of recalled products is below. For images of the packaging, click here.

  • WinCo, Fresh GROUND BEEF SIRLOIN 90% LEAN – 10% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 18:37 through 18:48 L3, 1/11/2022

  • Walmart, ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF 90% LEAN 10% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 18:49 through 19:18 L3, 1/11/2022

  • WinCo, Fresh GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN - 7% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 19:19 through 21:14 L3, Use/Freeze by 1/11/22

  • Kroger, Kroger GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN 7% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 19:19 through 21:14 L3, Use/Freeze by 1/11/22

  • Albertsons, Signature Farms GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN/ 7% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 19:19 through 21:14 L3, Use/Freeze by 1/11/22

  • Walmart, ALL NATURAL LEAN GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN 7% FAT, 16 oz. (1 lb.) chub, 21:15 through 22:42 L3, 1/11/2022

  • Walmart, ALL NATURAL LEAN GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN 7% FAT, 48 oz. (3 lb.) chub, 18:15 through 21:18 L1, 1/11/2022

  • Win-Co, Fresh GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN - 7% FAT, 48 oz. (3 lb.) chub, 18:15 through 21:18 L1, 1/11/2022

  • Kroger, GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN 7% FAT, 48 oz. (3 lb.) chub, 18:15 through 21:18 L1, 1/11/2022

  • Albertsons, Signature Farms GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN 7% FAT, 48 oz. (3 lb.) chub, 18:15 through 21:18 L1, 1/11/2022

  • Walmart, ALL NATURAL LEAN GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN 7% FAT, 48 oz. (3 lb.) chub, 21:00 through 22:19 L2, 1/11/2022

If you have any of the above products in your refrigerator or freezer, the USDA says they should not be consumed. Instead, these items should be immediately thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

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The contamination issue was reported to FSIS after a retail package of ground beef was purchased and submitted to a third-party laboratory for microbiological analysis. That sample tested positive for E. coli, and when FSIS assessed the laboratory's accreditation and methodologies, it determined the results were actionable.

E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Symptoms typically appear between two and eight days after a person has been exposed to E. coli, and most people typically recover within a week. However, some people who come in contact with E. coli may develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This condition can affect people of any age, but is most common in children under five and the elderly. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output.

Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider, and if you're experiencing symptoms of HUS, you should seek emergency medical care immediately.

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Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Interstate Meat Dist., Inc., at (503) 656-6168.

This recall comes less than two months after the CDC investigated an E. coli outbreak linked to baby spinach that sickened 10 people, and about a month after more than two million pounds of pork products were recalled because of Listeria concerns.