Tyson Fresh Meats is recalling about 41,000 pounds of ground chuck beef packaged for wholesale distribution in 16 states because the meat may have been contaminated with E. coli, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

The recall involves the company’s 80/20 ground chuck, packed in 80-pound boxes containing eight 10-pound tubes. The meat was produced Oct. 24 at Tyson’s Dakota City, Nebraska, plant. Each box had an “Est. 245C” stamped inside a USDA inspection mark and a production code of D-0381-BH, and a “best before or freeze by” date of Nov. 13.

The beef was shipped to institutions and distributors in Kentucky, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The problem was discovered through routine monitoring, which confirmed a positive result of E. coli O157:H7, which is a particularly nasty strain of the E. coli bacterium. It can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. While healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli O157:H7 within a week, young children and older adults can develop a life-threatening form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

No illness have been reported in this recall of Tyson ground chuck. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ensures consumers that there is no danger as long as the meat is properly handled and cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees, which kills harmful bacteria like E. coli.

Source: Food Safety News