May 23, 2013
ConAgra Beef is voluntarily recalling approximately 354,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
The Agriculture Department made the announcement over the weekend, saying the labels on all the products being recalled bear the establishment code "EST.969" inside the USDA seal of inspection.
It was produced on May 31 and distributed to retail, food service and institutional establishments nationwide. The problem was discovered through microbiological traceback sampling.
"Because of the potential hazard of foodborne illness from consumption of meat products contaminated with harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, I urge consumers who have purchased the suspect product not to eat it and return it to the place of purchase," said Linda Swacina, acting FSIS administrator.
Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Jim Herlihy, vice president of communications and consumer affairs, ConAgra Beef Company, at (970) 506-8052.
Consumers with other food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
