The Recall Desk
Agency classPublic Health AlertOur severity:HighUSDA FSIS·PHA-04202024-001·Announced 2024-04-20

Ground Beef Products Subject to Public Health Alert for E. Coli O157:H7

USDA FSIS issued a public health alert for Greater Omaha Packing Co. ground beef products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers should not consume these products.

The agency’s classification

USDA FSIS: Public Health Alert

Public Health Alert is a warning FSIS issues when there is a food-safety concern but a recall is not requested, typically because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a high-risk pathogen (E. coli O157:H7) without reported illness, which corresponds to a severity score of 3 (High) according to the rubric.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert on April 20, 2024, for raw ground beef products produced by Greater Omaha Packing Co., Inc. The alert was issued because the products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. A formal recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase, but FSIS is concerned that some product may remain in consumers' and food service institutions' freezers.

The affected raw ground beef items were produced on March 28, 2024, and bear the establishment number “EST. 960A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products have a “Use/Freeze by” date of April 22, 2024, and a packaging date of “032824.” The items were shipped to food service institutions and retail locations nationwide. The contamination was discovered by the establishment during an inventory of product that was on hold after testing positive for E. coli O157:H7; the company inadvertently used a portion of this contaminated beef to produce the shipped ground beef products.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, and in some cases, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Food service institutions are urged not to serve these products. FSIS advises consumers to cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 F to kill harmful bacteria.

The recalled product

Product
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination
Brand
Greater Omaha Packing Co., Inc.
Manufacturer
Greater Omaha Packing Co., Inc.
Category
Food — Raw Ground Beef
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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