USDA: Imported Canadian beef may contain E. coli
Imported Canadian beef products distributed in Washington may be contaminated with E. coli according to a Public Health Alert the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today. The meat is often processed into other products such as ground beef, ground beef patties, beef jerky, and pastrami.
Tests conducted by both the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed raw boneless beef trim meat from Canadian Establishment 38, XL Foods, Inc. had the bacterium. The CFIA first recalled the company’s ground-beef products on Sunday but has since expanded the recall to other meat products from the company.
XL Foods, Inc., also distributed meat to California, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. In a release, the USDA said it’s making sure the meat is removed from companies the ground beef products were delivered to.
E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and — in severe cases — kidney failure. Infants, children, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. The USDA advises consumers to cook ground beef well at a temperature of at least 160 F.
