Beef containing a potentially fatal form of E. coli was sent to stores

Beef contaminated with a potentially fatal form of E. coli was used in ground beef products sent to stores and “food service establishments,” according to a public health alert from the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service on Saturday evening.

Which stores and what exactly is meant by “food service establishments” was not clear in the warning, and Greater Omaha Packing Co. does not make this clear on its website or social media. The Herald sent an email and left a phone message for the company.

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What is known: “The issue was discovered by the facility while conducting an inventory of a product that was on hold because it was found positive for E. coli O157:H7,” the USDA alert said. “The company notified FSIS that it had inadvertently used some of the contaminated beef to produce ground beef products” that were sent to customers.

This form of E. coli causes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting for five to seven days. According to the CDC, about 5-10% of people sick with O157:H7 will develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. That’s a form of kidney failure that can turn E. coli into a fatal foodborne illness.

Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to eliminate the threat of E. coli.

The chub and packages of ground beef patties in question, a list of which was released with the alert, were made and packaged on March 28 and have a use-by or freeze date of Monday, April 22. brisket-chuck mixes.

Consumers with more questions about this alert can contact Gina Adami of Greater Omaha Packing at [email protected] or 402-575-4702.