28 March 2023
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A Kansas company has placed a recall on more than 3,000 pounds of boneless beef chuck that could be contaminated with E.coli. Although the company is in Kansas, Kansas is not one of the nine states that received the meat.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the recall comes from Elkhorn Valley Packaging of Harper, located in south-central Kansas. In total, 3,436 pounds of beef are impacted by this recall. The USDA says the “beef may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O103.”
The meat was sent to distributors, federal establishments, retail locations and wholesale locations, including hotels, restaurants and institutions. The states of Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania received the recalled product.
The recalled products consist of various weights in corrugated boxes containing “Elkhorn Valley Pride Angus Beef 61226 BEEF CHUCK 2PC BNLS; Packed on 2/16/23.” The complete list of serial numbers impacted by this recall can be found by clicking here.
A photo of the recalled product. (Photo Courtesy/USDA)
The product impacted by the recall bears the establishment number EST. M-19549 inside the USDA mark of inspection, according to the USDA.
The possible contamination was found when the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducted a routine test of ground beef coming from this product. The USDA said the sample was positive for STEC O103. As of March 24, there have been no confirmed reports of anyone getting sick from eating the beef.
The USDA said many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 STEC, like O103, as it is more difficult to identify than STEC O157:H7. People can fall ill from STECs two to eight days after eating contaminated products.
Symptoms can include diarrhea and vomiting but can become more severe and lead to a type of kidney failure. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Someone with those symptoms should seek emergency medical care.
The USDA says customers who have the recalled product are encouraged not to use or distribute them. The products should be thrown away or returned to the place where they were purchased.
If you have any questions about this recall, you can call Elkhorn Valley Packing at 620-243-3308 or send an email to [email protected].
If you have food safety questions, you can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline toll-free at 888-674-6854 or live chat with Ask USDA from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To view this recall online, click here.