ATLANTA, Georgia, US — Investigations are underway in 25 US states of Salmonella Newport infections linked to ground beef produced by JBS Tolleson Inc. has been announced by The US Centre for Disease Control and the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. It is unknown if any of these products have been shipped overseas.
Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled beef products, including ground beef which were recalled by JBS Tolleson Inc., of Tolleson, Arizona, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The company recalled 6.9 million pounds of beef products on Oct. 4 and then recalled an additional 5.2 million pounds of beef products on Dec. 4.
Recalled beef products were produced and packaged from July 26 to Sept. 7 and were shipped to retailers under many brand names.
Check your freezer for recalled beef. Look for beef labelled with the establishment number “EST. 267.” This is usually found inside the USDA mark of inspection, but can be elsewhere on the package.
Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from eating recalled ground beef.
In general, consumers and restaurants should always handle and cook ground beef safely to help prevent food borne illness. It is important to cook ground beef thoroughly.
Restaurants and retailers should check food storage and freezers for recalled beef products and should not serve or sell them.
If possible, retailers who received recalled beef products should contact their customers to alert them to the recall.
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.
In some people, the diarrhoea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
Children younger than five years, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
