Recall
E. coli contamination is likely in Ground Beef from Merkley & Sons Packing Co. of Jasper, Ind.
Recalled products bear a “Merkley & Sons” label. The voluntary recall is limited to products sold at specific retail locations between June 7 and June 24 with possible E. coli.
On Facebook, the Jasper company issued the following statement
Food safety and quality are our number one priority. Providing our customers with safe, wholesome, and quality products is a responsibility we take very seriously. We feed our families the very same product we provide to your families. We remain committed to providing timely communication and transparency to all of our customers.
Daily, we work closely with the personnel of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health and USDA-FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) to adhere to their advice, direction, and guidelines, including routine product testing and appropriate precautionary measures as a result of product testing indicated possible E. coli contamination.
After careful product tracing and in an abundance of caution, we have decided to inform all customers and issue a voluntary recall of 1 lb and 5 lb. packages of our “Ground Beef, 80% Lean” sold in retail locations from June 7 to June 24. This notice and voluntary recall are specific to our “Ground Beef, 80% Lean” and DOES NOT include “Premium Ground Beef, 90% Lean”, beef patties, or any of our other products. We have confirmed other products have been properly isolated from the impacted product, including “Ground Beef, 80% Lean,” sold Friday, June 25, and Saturday, June 26.
This decision results from routine sampling of the production 60- 1 lb. packages of 80% lean fresh ground beef. Test results indicated possible E. coli contamination. All packages from the production on this date were isolated and never made available for sale. In an abundance of caution, as we were not able to absolutely confirm isolation of risk to the 60-1 lb. packages produced on this date, we have voluntarily expanded the recall to include all “Ground Beef, 80% Lean” products sold June 7 to June 24 which could be linked to the tested product. We have notified our wholesale and restaurant customers to remove the affected product from commerce.
We remind you to always properly handle and cook all meat products to reduce the risk of illness for your safety. Preparing ground beef per package directions includes properly washing your hands and cooking product thoroughly to 160 °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.
We remind you to always properly handle and cook all meat products to reduce the risk of illness for your safety. Preparing ground beef per package directions includes properly washing your hands and cooking product thoroughly to 160 °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.
There have been no reports of illnesses associated with the consumption of this product. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a medical professional.
Customers who have purchased “Ground Beef, 80% Lean” between June 7 and June 24 in 1 lb. or 5 lb. packages may return the product to our retail location for a full refund or exchange. For any questions, please call 812-482-7020.
The “Ground Beef, 80% Lean” was sold in the following retail outlets between June 7 and June 24, 2021:
Big Peach Produce Stand; Bruceville, IN
Birdseye Conservation Club; Birdseye, IN
Buck’s Produce; Marengo, IN
Discount Grocery; Loogootee, IN
Dutch Pantry; Vincennes, IN
Fast Eddies; French Lick, IN
IGA; Loogootee, IN
Jay C; Washington, IN
Kalb’s; Dubois, IN
Merkley and Sons Packing Company retail store; Jasper, IN
Nicholson Valley Grocery; Dubois, IN
Shepherds Loft; Montgomery, IN
Spud Food Mart; Jasper, IN
Sunny’s Celestine; Celestine, IN
Consumers who possess recalled products should not consume them. To receive a refund or exchange, return the unused portions to the retail location. Consumers should also check their freezers for unused portions.
No illness has been associated with these products. Consumers are reminded to use safe handling and cooking practices for all uncooked meat.
Wholesale and restaurant locations that received affected products have been notified. No other Merkley & Sons products are part of this recall.
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of people and animals. Most E. coli are harmless and actually are an important part of a healthy human intestinal tract. However, some E. coli are pathogenic, meaning they can cause illness, either diarrhea or illness outside of the intestinal tract. The types of E. coli that can cause diarrhea can be transmitted through contaminated water or food, or through contact with animals or persons.
E. coli consists of a diverse group of bacteria. Pathogenic E. coli strains are categorized into pathotypes. Six pathotypes are associated with diarrhea and collectively are referred to as diarrheagenic E. coli.
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)—STEC may also be referred to as Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). This pathotype is the one most commonly heard about in the news in association with foodborne outbreaks.
- Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)
- Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC)
- Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC)
- Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)
- Diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC)
Symptoms
Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Some people may have a fever, which usually is not very high (less than 101˚F/38.5˚C). Most people get better within 5 to 7 days. Some infections are very mild, but others are severe or even life-threatening.
Most people with a STEC infection start feeling sick 3 to 4 days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria. However, illnesses can start anywhere from 1 to 10 days after exposure. Contact your healthcare provider if you have diarrhea that lasts for more than 3 days or diarrhea that is accompanied by a fever higher than 102˚F, bloody diarrhea, or so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down and you pass very little urine.
Prevention
Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) are bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals.
Most E. coli are harmless and are actually an important part of a healthy human intestinal tract. However, some E. coli can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, bloodstream infections, and other illnesses. The types of E. coli that can cause illness can be transmitted through contaminated water or food, or through contact with animals or people.
What is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli?
Some kinds of E. coli bacteria cause disease when they make a toxin called Shiga toxin. The bacteria that make these toxins are called “Shiga toxin-producing E. coli,” or STEC for short.
How can I prevent a STEC infection?
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- Know your chances of getting food poisoning. People with higher chances for foodborne illness are pregnant women, newborns, children, older adults, and those with weak immune systems, such as people with cancer, diabetes, or HIV/AIDS.
- Practice proper hygiene, especially good handwashing.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and changing diapers.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after preparing or eating food.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after contact with animals or their environments (at farms, petting zoos, fairs, even your own backyard).
- Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing and feeding bottles or foods to an infant or toddler, before touching an infant or toddler’s mouth, and before touching pacifiers or other things that go into an infant or toddler’s mouth.
- Keep all objects that enter infants’ and toddlers’ mouths (such as pacifiers and teethers) clean.
- If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (check the product label to be sure). These alcohol-based products can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but they are not a substitute for washing with soap and running water.
- Follow the four steps to food safety when preparing food: clean, separate, cook, and chill.
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Wash fruits and vegetables well under running water, unless the package says the contents have already been washed.
- Cook meats thoroughly:
- To kill harmful germs, cook beef steaks and roasts to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (62.6˚C) and allow to rest for 3 minutes after you remove meat from the grill or stove.
- Cook ground beef and pork to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (70˚C).
- Always use a food thermometer to check that the meat has reached a safe internal temperature because you can’t tell whether meat is safely cooked by looking at its color.
- Don’t cause cross-contamination in food preparation areas. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils after they touch raw meat.
- Avoid raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, and unpasteurized juices (such as fresh apple cider).
- Don’t swallow water when swimming and when playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, and backyard “kiddie” pools.
If you suspect that you might have worms or any other parasitic infection, purchase our Full GI Panel Test.
Our Full GI Panel consists of our Comprehensive Stool Analysis (CSA) and our Swab Culture. Combining these two tests provides full coverage screening of all intestinal pathogens and is recommended for anyone experiencing GI symptoms.
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