The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) has issued a Public Health Alert for possible E. coli contamination in ground beef produced by Greater Omaha Packing Co. Inc. and sold by Art’s Food Market located in Sandwich, Illinois. Consumers who purchased ground beef weighing approximately two pounds and labeled with “packed on” dates ranging from JAN 28 2021 through JAN 31 2021 should not eat it as E. coli can cause serious illness and death. When the health alert was issued, USDA FSIS was not aware of any illnesses.
USDA FSIS did not issue a recall for the product produced by the Omaha-based company because the affected product is no longer available for purchase but the agency is concerned that consumers may have some of the product, produced on January 14, 2021, in their freezers.
The problem was discovered by Greater Omaha Packing Co. when officials there realized that ground beef associated with a sample that was positive for E. coli O157:H7 had inadvertently been distributed. Symptoms of an E. coli infection include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can be watery. Anyone who ate the ground beef and is experiencing these symptoms should see a doctor and mention exposure to E. coli.