US meat manufacturer recalls 50 tons of minced beef following E coli outbreak

The outbreak has affected 156 people in 10 states so far

A meat manufacturer has recalled 50 tons (50802 kg) of minced beef due to concerns it could be linked to a recent outbreak of E coli.

The move follows an outbreak of E coli-related illnesses which have affected 156 people in 10 states across the US, all after consuming minced beef.

While US health officials have not identified one sole source, K2D Foods, also known as Colorado Premium Foods, has issued a voluntary recall of its products.

The products in question are 24-pound vacuum-packed packages of “ground beef puck.”

Contaminated minced beef has been causing people to fall ill in the US since the beginning of March, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed on Tuesday.

No deaths have been reported but 20 people have been hospitalised after they were infected since 1 March, the CDC said on its website. The specific strain of E. coli in question is O103.

The agency has revealed that an investigation to determine the source of the contaminated minced beef which was supplied to supermarkets and restaurants is ongoing.

The investigation began on 28 March, when officials in Kentucky and Georgia notified the CDC of the outbreak.

Since then, around 65 cases have been reported in Kentucky, 41 in Tennessee and 33 in Georgia.

E coli cases have also been reported in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio and Virginia.

“FSIS and its public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Tennessee Department of Health, have been investigating an outbreak of E coli O103,” the Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement.

“Unopened, intact ground beef collected as part of the ongoing investigation from a restaurant location, where multiple case-patients reported dining, tested positive for E coli O103.”

The FSIS has advised all consumers safely prepare their raw meat products and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160F.

The K2D recalled raw beef products have use-through dates of April 14, April 17, April 20, April 23, April 28, and April 30, 2019, and all feature the number EST. 51308.

E coli, otherwise known as Escherichia coli, is a common type of bacteria that’s known for causing an irritable stomach and food poisoning.

The CDC explains that it can be found in various foods, in the environment and in the intestines of mammals, including humans.

Signs that you may have been infected by E coli bacteria can take approximately three or four days to arise, as stated by the Mayo Clinic, an academic medical centre based in Minnesota.

Symptoms include having diarrhoea, which may either seem mild or contain blood, experiencing painful stomach cramping, feeling nauseous or vomiting.

It can also cause a number of various illnesses including cystitis, urinary tract infections and pneumonia.

You can find out more about E coli, including how it can be prevented and treated here.