Nebraska company recalls ground beef products on suspected of E coli adulteration

Nebraska-based All American Meats Inc is recalling around 167,427 pounds of ground beef products that might be adulterated with E coli, the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced yesterday.

The ground beef items were produced on 16 October 2015, and shipped to retail locations nationwide.

The problem came to light on 30 October, 2015, when a positive result for E. coli from FSIS' in-commerce surveillance program testing was traced back to the establishment. There had been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

E coli, a potentially deadly bacterium is known to cause dehydration, bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps after 2 to 8 days after exposure to the organism.

While most people take a week to recover, some develop a type of kidney failure called haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It condition causes easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output and person who experience these symptoms are advised to seek immediate emergency medical care.

The USDA's food inspection service and All American Meats expressed concern that some of the product may be in consumers' freezers.

All American Meats commenced operations in 1996. In 1999, All American Meats recalled 82,929 pounds of ground beef after a sample collected in a Jewel Food Store warehouse in Chicago was found to be contaminated with E. coli.

E.coli contamination has been detected in beef processed in Nebraska in a number other instances. Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., in Dakota City, recalled about 40,000 pounds of ground beef products in 2011.

One of the largest recalls came in 2008, when Nebraska Beef Ltd recalled 5.3 million pounds of beef after the contaminated meat was linked to 49 E. coli illnesses in seven states.

In January this year, Tyson Foods said it was is recalling nearly 34,000 pounds of mechanically separated chicken products that might be contaminated with a strain of salmonella. (See: Tyson foods recalling 34,000 pounds of mechanically separated chicken).