The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service has sent out a public health alert for raw boneless beef trim products imported from Canada by XL Foods Inc. that may be contaminated with E. coli.
According to the FSIS, testing of the imported raw boneless beef trim product from Alberta, Canada-based XL Foods confirmed positive for E. coli on September 3.
The FSIS alerted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of the positive results for E.Coli, leading to further test that culminated in a recall of ground beef products in Canada on September 16. Subsequently, the scope of the recall has been expanded to include additional products.
The company has notified its customers, including U.S. establishments that beef trim associated with the recall was shipped to them.
FSIS is working to confirm that all trims received at FSIS-inspected establishments from the company either received a full lethality treatment or that no raw trim was further distributed and manufactured into other not-ready-to-eat product. The Agency is also taking steps to remove the product from commerce.
The products subject to the Canadian recall were distributed to U.S. establishments in the following states: California, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
At the U.S. establishments, these products may have been further processed into various products, such as ground beef, ground beef patties, beef jerky and pastrami.
E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
As abundant caution, the FSIS advises consumers to safely prepare raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160° F.
by RTT Staff Writer
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