By Trish Svoboda

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is releasing a public health warning for ground beef items that could be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. This public health warning is being issued by FSIS to inform consumers that these products should not be eaten. A product recall was not initiated as the items are no longer up for sale. The items were shipped nationwide.

The news release states that the raw ground beef items were produced on March 28, 2024. The products have a “Use/Freeze by” date of April 22, 2024, and a packaging date of “032824.” The products have an establishment number “EST. 960A” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The problem was discovered during inventory of product that was on hold because it had been found positive for E. coli O157:H7. FSIS was notified that a portion of the contaminated beef had been inadvertently used in products that were shipped.

So far there have been no confirmed reports of illness due to the consumption of these products.

FSIS urges consumers to check their freezers for contaminated products. If any of these products are found they should be thrown out or returned to the place of purchase. You can find the list of products under the public health alert here. Labels for these products can be found on the FSIS website.