One person is dead and 17 others are ill due to a suspected E. coli outbreak caused by contaminated ground beef, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The meat that caused the outbreak is believed to have come from Cargill’s Fort Morgan plant.
The outbreak led Cargill to issue a nationwide recall of 132,606 pounds of ground beef. The meat that is contaminated was issued from the chuck portion of the cow and was packaged on June 21.
FSIS said the outbreak has predominantly affected consumers in Florida, specifically shoppers of Publix Supermarkets. The supermarket is a large buyer of Cargill’s beef products.
After hearing about the E. coli outbreak, Publix Supermarkets notified FSIS and the agency began to investigate the root of the outbreak.
FSIS determined that the outbreak was caused from ground beef products purchased at retail stores that were processed and supplied by Cargill’s Fort Morgan plant, which is among one of the largest and most productive meatpacking plants in the country. The plant employs over 2,100 people across Morgan County.
“We were distressed to learn a fatality may be related to an E.coli contamination of one of our products,” the company said in a statement on Thursday. “All affected product was pulled from supermarket shelves, but consumers may still have it in their freezers, so it is important that they take action to prevent possible illness.”
Among the products subject to recall have the establishment number “EST. 86R” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were shipped to various buyers across the country.
FSIS also said that they believe the contaminated meat may be in thousands of freezers in homes across the country.
“Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,” FSIS said in a statement. “These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.”
FSIS said that E. coli symptoms typically begin to occur 2-8 days after consumption. Common symptoms include vomiting, bloody diarrhea, stomach pains, dehydration, and dizziness. E. coli testing can be done at a local hospital and is typically done through providing a bowel sample.
“At Cargill, food safety is something we work hard at every day,” Cargill said in their statement. “Internal and external food safety teams are assessing the processes at Fort Morgan and our other facilities to ensure we continue to deliver safe food to our customers and consumers.”
The company said that they are working alongside the USDA to notify consumers of the products that may have been contaminated. “If there is any doubt, throw it out,” they said.
This is the second consecutive month that the meat processing giant has issued a recall of its ground beef products. On August 23, Cargill recalled 25,000 pounds of ground beef due to the same E. Coli suspicion that sparked this recall. Consumers with questions regarding the recall can call 1-844-419-1574 to speak with a Cargill representative.
