Over 120,000 pounds of ground beef is recalled over E.coli contamination fears

More than 120,000 pounds of ground beef sold across the U.S. is being recalled over fears it is contaminated with E.coli.

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) urged people with Naturally Better, Nature’s Reserve or Thomas Farms-labeled burgers and mince in their fridge to throw it out or take it back to the store.

There are no reports of people falling ill or suffering an ‘adverse reaction’ after accidentally eating the contaminated items to date.

E.coli — which can trigger bloody diarrhea and vomiting — was detected in the beef during routine testing by the agency. 

Lakeside Refrigerated Services, in New Jersey, processed the meats before they were distributed between February and April. 

It is the second time the company has been hit with a recall in recent years, after 40,000 pounds of ground beef products it handled were also recalled in June 2020.

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection service said it was recalling the products over fears of E.coli contamination. It told Americans to throw them out or return them to the shop

Products affected are those carrying the Thomas Farms, Nature’s Reserve or Naturally Better label which are sold in multiple supermarkets

The three ground meat brands being recalled are sold in major supermarkets across the country. Those with Marketside Butcher and Weis by Nature labels are also being recalled.

The FSIS warned people who eat E.coli-contaminated products would likely fall ill about three to four days later.

 ‘Most people infected… develop diarrhea (often bloody and vomiting. But some illnesses last longer and can be more severe,’ the agency wrote in its recall notice.

‘Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment: Antibiotics not generally recommended.

‘Most people recover within a week but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection which can lead to kidney failure.’

It said affected products had the establishment number ‘EST. 46841’ inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mark of inspection.

Symptoms of an E.coli infection include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. 

In serious cases of E. coli infection, patients may be given antibiotics to help ease the symptoms.

But in rare cases, sufferers can develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

This is a condition in which there is an abnormal destruction of blood platelets and red blood cells.

These can then clog the kidney’s filtering system, leading the organ’s to fail in a potentially life-threatening condition.

E.coli outbreaks are also often linked to lettuces and other greens.

In 2019, more than 160 people fell sick after eating contaminated romaine lettuces from a farm in California.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials warned at the time it was difficult to prevent E.coli contamination because of how greens are often grown.

In a report they labelled nearby cattle as a ‘risk’ for spreading the bacteria to the plants.

There were 18 E.coli outbreaks linked to lettuces between 2009 and 2019, along with 22 additional outbreaks of the illness in that same period.

It comes after Kinder chocolates were recalled in the U.S. over a salmonella contamination earlier this month.

Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortments, Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats and Surprise Chocolate Eggs were found to contain the organism at a factory in Belgium.

Both products are marked as Easter treats. 

The company said in a statement: ‘Ferrero deeply regrets this situation. We take food safety extremely seriously and every step we have taken has been guided by our commitment to consumer care.’

Cases of salmonella linked to the eggs have been detected in Europe, although none were also spotted in America.