CARGILL RECALLS GROUND BEEF AMID SALMONELLA OUTBREAK IN MASS., N.H., VT AND R.I

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Over 30,000 pounds of Cargill ground beef are being recalled due to worries that it may be responsible for the salmonella poisoning outbreak which has made at least 35 people sick in seven states. The recall was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service due to concerns the meat produced and distributed by Cargill was contaminated with Salmonella Enterosis. The action was a result of a multi-state infection outbreak with illnesses in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia. The recall is labeled “Grnd Beef Fine 85/15 and sold in cases containing three 14 pound chub packages.Even though the use-by date has passed, the concern is that people may still have the products frozen in their freezers at home.Salmonella is a type of bacteria that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe food poisoning. For most healthy adults, symptoms of food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death. Salmonella serotype Enteritidis (SE) is one of the most common serotypes of Salmonella bacteria reported worldwide. The strain of Salmonella Enteritidis associated with the ground beef recall is not antibiotic resistant. FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160ŒÁ F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.This is the second year Cargill has been the subject of a major meat recalls. Last year, a massive ground turkey recall was issued for 36 million pounds of meat produced by the company. That meat was believed to have been contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg, which was suspected to have caused at least 79 illnesses across the U.S., including at least one death. Cargill faced a number of food poisoning lawsuits as a result of that ground turkey recall.