E. coli Recall of Ground Beef by South Gate Meat Co.
A ground beef recall has been issued by a California company due to E. coli contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
South Gate Meat Company of South Gate, California has recalled about 35,000 pounds of ground beef products after FSIS testing indicated contamination of E. coli O157:H7 in some samples. The recalled products bear the code “EST. 6217″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and were produced June 7-June 21 of this year. Sold to restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange County, the detailed description of the recalled beef includes:
- 20-, 30- and 40-pound bulk packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF.”
- 30-, 40-, and 50-pound bulk packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. COARSE GROUND BEEF.”
- 10- and 20-pound packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTIES.
Consumers should NOT eat the recalled meat and if they believe they are sick with E. coli they should visit a doctor, get tested for E. coli and report the case to their local health department if their E. coli test is positive.
E. coli Contamination in Beef and E. coli Infections
How does E. coli contaminate food supplies? It is a bacterium that lives in the stomachs of cattle. There are many strains of E. coli and not all of them sicken humans. However, those that do can easily live in animals’ digestive systems without making the animals sick.
During the slaughtering process, manure from cattle farms can get onto the bodies of the cattle being slaughtered, and onto the cuts of meat that are then distributed for sale and consumption. Ground beef poses a particular E. coli hazard because the beef is eventually ground up. That means any E. coli bacteria that was on the surface of the meat then becomes ground into the whole beef patty–so E. coli may no longer be on the surface of the meat where it can easily be killed by cooking. It is now deep inside the beef patty. This is why the FSIS advises that consumers cook their beef to a certain temperature.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Many people suffer these painful symptoms but recover. However, in serious cases the infection can develop into E. coli HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
