On April 22, 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Beltex Corporation, of Fort Worth, Texas is recalling 135,500 pounds of beef trim products, due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. E. coli O157:H7 is a dangerous strain of bacteria that can cause food poisoning, severe sickness, and even death in some populations.
During a routine Food Safety Assessment, the FSIS discovered that the establishment's methods of analyzing samples for E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in beef products raised concerns about the safety of the products. Though there have been no reports of illness so far in connection to the beef products, the USDA is issuing a recall to prevent serious illness from spreading.
The following Beltex beef products, sold in boxes, are being recalled:
The recalled boxes have "EST. 07041B" printed inside the USDA mark of inspection on product labeling. The meats were produced on October 28, 2009, November 20, 2009, February 19, 2010, and April 2, 2010 and were distributed to wholesalers and federal establishments in Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
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