At least three major grocery store chains have recalled more than 60,000 pounds of beef after the bacteria was found in routine testing. The ground beef packages could be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., Publix Super Markets Inc. and Kroger Co. announced the recalls mainly in the southeastern U.S. stemming from problems at the National Beef Packaging Co. of Dodge City, Kan.
The recalls affect products sold mainly in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee, but the meat was sent to several distributors and could have been repackaged for consumers and sold nationwide. The agriculture department have no reports of illnesses, but is checking processes and procedures in an effort to find the cause and prevent it from happening again.
At Kroger, the recalled products include ground chuck, ground beef patties, and meatballs and meat loaf made in the stores. Packages have “sell by” dates of July 29 through Aug. 12. The products at Publix, include meatballs, meat loaf, ground chuck patties, stuffed peppers, seasoned salisbury steak and others with “sell by” dates of July 25 through Aug. 12. Winn-Dixie products include ground chuck and patties with “sell-by” label dates from July 31 to Aug. 12.
