The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns that a specific ground beef product may be contaminated with E. coli O103. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase.

The raw ground beef items were produced on October 4, 2022. The following product is subject to the public health alert:

  • 1-lb. plastic vacuum-packed packages containing “FRANK’S BUTCHER SHOP GROUND BEEF” with “PACKED ON” dates of 10-07-2022 and 10-09-2022 on the label.

The establishment’s retail store location in Hudson, Wyoming sold the affected product directly to consumers. FBS Hudson is actively attempting to contact consumers who may have purchased 14 packages of ground beef product subject to the public health alert.

The problem was discovered when FBS Hudson alerted FSIS that its routine microbial testing results found Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O103 in a sample of the ground beef. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products.

Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 STEC, such as O103 because it is harder to identify than STEC O157:H7. People can become ill from STECs 2-8 days (average of 3-4 days) after consuming the organism.

Most people infected with STEC O103 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O103 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them.

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Bruce Clark Bruce Clark

Bruce Clark is a partner in Marler Clark. In 1993, Bruce became involved in foodborne illness litigation as an attorney for Jack in the Box restaurants in its E. coli O157:H7 personal injury litigation. The Jack in the Box litigation spanned more than…

Bruce Clark is a partner in Marler Clark. In 1993, Bruce became involved in foodborne illness litigation as an attorney for Jack in the Box restaurants in its E. coli O157:H7 personal injury litigation. The Jack in the Box litigation spanned more than four years and involved more than 100 lawsuits in four states. Since that time, Bruce has been continuously involved in food and waterborne illness litigation involving bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents in settings ranging from large scale outbreaks to individual cases. He has extensive expertise in the medical, microbiological, and epidemiological aspects of foodborne illness cases gleaned from more than a decade of working with leading experts across the country. Bruce frequently speaks to public health groups as well as food industry groups about the realities of foodborne illness litigation and efforts that can help avoid the damage foodborne pathogens inflict.