Composite image | Photo by AHPhotoswpg/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Nearly 43,000 pounds of raw ground beef product is being recalled by a New Jersey company after an inspection found the products may be contaminated with E. coli.

According to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall was announced late Saturday after the issue was discovered during a routine USDA inspection at the Lakeside Refrigerated Services facilities, based out of Swedesboro, New Jersey.

The approximately 42,920 pounds of raw ground beef subject to the recall was produced on June 1, 2020, and include grass-fed products from Marketside Butcher, Thomas Farms and Value Pack Fresh products.

The products were shipped to retail locations nationwide, including Walmart and Target stores. The beef labels may be viewed here. The products affected bear the establishment number "EST. 628" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

While there have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of the products from the Lakeside facilities to date, the statement released by the USDA said this is considered a "high-risk" recall, which is issued in cases where conditions or a situation can involve a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to the product in question will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

Labeling involved in recall of Marketside Grass-Fed Ground Beef issued June 13, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, St. George News

Products subject to recall

  • 1-pound vacuum packages containing Marketside Butcher Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef and a use or freeze by date of July 1, bearing product code P-53298-82.
  • 1-pound vacuum packages containing four Marketside Butcher Organic Grass-Fed Beef Patties with a use by/freeze date of June 27, bearing product code P-53934-28.
  • 3-pound vacuum packages containing three 1-pound pieces of Marketside Butcher Organic Grass-Fed Ground Beef (93% lean) and a use or freeze by date of July 1, bearing product code P53929-70.
  • 1-pound tray packages containing four quarter-pound pieces of Thomas Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties (85% lean) with a use or freeze by date of June 25, bearing product code P53944-10.
  • 4-pound tray packages containing 10 quarter-pound Thomas Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties (80% lean) with a use or freeze by date of June 25, bearing product code P53937-45.
  • 1-pound vacuum packages containing four quarter-pound Thomas Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef Patties (85% lean) "with a use or freeze by date of June 27, bearing product code P53935-25.
  • 1-pound vacuum packages of Value Pack Fresh Ground Beef (76% lean) with a use or freeze by date of July 1, bearing product code P53930-18.

Consumers are advised to safely prepare raw meat products, both fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Cuts of unground beef should be cooked to a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit and then allowed to rest for at least three minutes.

The only way to confirm that ground beef or other cuts of beef are cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature. A safe internal temperature chart can be found here.

This particular strain of E. coli — 0157:H7 — is a potentially deadly bacterium caused by a Shiga toxin-producing pathogen, which is a "major foodborne pathogen causing severe disease in humans worldwide," according to the National Institutes of Health.

The disease can can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps anytime from two to eight days after exposure to the bacteria. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output that can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and older adults.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome can be fatal in up to 5% percent of cases, and anyone who experiences these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

Consumers with questions on the current recall can call Lakeside Processing Center Call Center at 856-832-3881.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Cody Blowers was raised in South San Francisco, California. A 2013 graduate of Colorado Technical University, Cody earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in paralegal studies. Through the course of her academic studies she discovered that writing is her true passion, and she is committed to providing credible, integrated news coverage. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she's not busy chasing the news, she can generally be found chasing her young granddaughter, Kali.

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