Arizona Meat producer JBS Tolleson expanded its previous beef recall to now encompass 12 million pounds of beef products.
By Jon Johnson
TOLLESON – Last month it was the lettuce and now it’s the beef again.
Arizona meat producer JBS Tolleson has expanded its beef product recall to now eclipse 12 million pounds.
The recall is an expansion of the company’s Oct. 4 recall, which originally involved 6.5 million pounds of numerous beef products – including ground beef – because they may be contaminated with salmonella. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which sent out a new news release Tuesday morning, the company has expanded that recall to include another 5.5 million pounds of beef.
The expansion comes on the heels of a Salmonella Newport outbreak and is considered a Class 1 Recall with a high health risk where a reasonable probability exists that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. The products subject to the recall bear the establishment number “EST. 257” inside the USDA mark of inspection and were shipped to retail locations nationwide, including Walmart. The beef items were packaged on various dates from July 26 to Sept. 7. Click here to see a complete products list and here to see product labels.
The investigation into the outbreak identified 246 confirmed cases from 26 states. Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, which has symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever pithing 12 to 72 hours after eating a contaminated product.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is concerned that some of the product packaged between July 26 and Sept. 7 could be frozen in consumers’ freezers and urges those with products to not use them.
The FSIS also advises all 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-degrees Fahrenheit. Other cuts of beef should be cooked to a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Consumers with questions can contact the JBS USA Consumer Hotline at (800) 727-2333 or the FSIS virtual representative “Ask Karen” at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov or call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).
