Walmart Ground Beef Recalled for Possible E. Coli Contamination

The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced late Saturday that nearly 43,000 pounds of ground beef produced on June 1st are being recalled due to a possible E.Coli contamination.

The ground beef came from Lakeside Refrigerated Services of Swedesboro, New Jersey, which services Walmart as well as a few other stores. It is sold under a few different brand names, including Thomas Farms and Marketside Butcher.

Packages that have an establishment number “EST. 46841” inside the USDA mark of inspection are to be thrown out immediately to prevent contamination.

The USDA classified the announcement as a “Class I” recall, which it defines as a “health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

According to an interview TODAY did with Walmart, the company said when they were notified of the possible contamination, they “immediately began the process of alerting our stores and distribution centers to remove the affected product from our store shelves and inventory, including a sales restriction.”

“Customers who have purchased the items identified in the recall should dispose of the product and return to their nearest Walmart for a full refund,” they added.

Specific Recalled Products:

• 1-lb. vacuum packages containing “Marketside Butcher Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef” and a use or freeze by date of July 1, 2020 and lot code P-53298-82.
  1-lb. vacuum packages containing four ¼ lb. pieces of “Marketside Butcher Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties” and a use or freeze by date of June 27, 2020 and lot code P-53934-28.
• 3-lb. vacuum packages containing three 1 lb. pieces of “Marketside Butcher Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef 93% Lean / 7% Fat” and a use or freeze by date of July 1, 2020 and lot code P53929-70.
• 1-lb. tray packages containing four ¼ lb. pieces of “Thomas Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties 85% Lean / 15% FAT” and a use or freeze by date of June 25, 2020 and lot code P53944-10.
• 4-lb. tray packages containing 10 ¼ lb. pieces of “Thomas Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties 80% Lean / 20% Fat” and a use or freeze by date of June 25, 2020 and lot code P53937-45.
• 1-lb. vacuum packages containing four ¼ lb. pieces of “Thomas Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties 85% Lean / 15% Fat” and a use or freeze by date of June 27, 2020 and lot code P53935-25.
  1-lb. vacuum packages containing “Value Pack Fresh Ground Beef 76% Lean / 24% Fat” and a use or freeze by date of July 1, 2020 and lot code P53930-18.

The good news is, the official statement by the USDA states the issue was discovered during routine testing, and there have been no confirmed cases of E. Coli.

Symptoms of E. Coli include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps three to four days after exposure – and potentially kidney failure in children under 5 years old and in older adults, according to the CDC.