Beef Recall Linked to E.coli

After an outbreak of E.coli illnesses, more than a half-million pounds of beef was recalled on Saturday by Fairbanks Farms of Ashville, New York after concerns  that the meat may have been tainted with a harmful strain of E. coli O157:H7.

Consumers from Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maryland and North Carolina are advised to check their refrigerators closely for beef products sold under brand names ranging from Acme Markets’ Lancaster Brand Ground Beef and Extra Lean Ground Beef to Giant Food Stores Meatloaf and Meatball Mix to Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef.

Suspected packages will be marked with establishment number EST 492 inside the USDA mark of inspection. It was produced September 15 and 16 and has sell-by dates ranging from September 19 to 28.

The known list of retail outlets include  ACME, BJ’s, Ford Brothers, Giant Food Stores, Price Chopper, Shaw’s, and Trader Joe’s. Fairbanks Farms says that customers who have identified recalled ground beef products, should remove the product from their freezers and return it to their stores for full reimbursement.

Symptoms of E. coli food poisoning include severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, mild fever and vomiting. If you see these symptoms developing in yourself or your children, increase intake of purified water and see your doctor immediately.