Elkhorn Valley Packing product recalled over E. coli risk

Recall date

March 24, 2023

Source

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA FSIS)

Official notice title

Elkhorn Valley Packing Recalls Boneless Beef Chuck Product Due to Possible E. coli O103 Contamination

Recall number

011-2023

FDA classification

Class I

Brand / firm

Elkhorn Valley Packing LLC

Sold / distributed

Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania

Why it was recalled

Product Contamination

Class I is the FDA’s most serious recall level: there is a reasonable probability that using this product will cause serious harm or death.

What was recalled

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2023 – Elkhorn Valley Packing, a Harper, Kan. establishment, is recalling approximately 3,436 pounds of boneless beef chuck product that may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O103, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The boneless beef chuck items were packed on Feb. 16, 2023. The following product is subject to recall [ view label ]: Various weights corrugated boxes containing “Elkhorn Valley Pride Angus Beef 61226 BEEF CHUCK 2PC BNLS; Packed on 2/16/23.” The complete list of serial numbers and box count numbers for the boneless beef chuck product that are subject to recall can be found here . The product subject to recall bears establishment number “EST. M-19549” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distributors, federal establishments, retail locations, and wholesale locations, which includes hotels, restaurants, and institutions, in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The problem was discovered when FSIS was conducting routine FSIS testing of ground beef derived from this product and the sample confirmed positive for STEC O103. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 STEC, such as O103, because it is harder to identify than STEC O157:H7. People can become ill from STECs 2–8 days (average of 3–4 days) after consuming the organism. Most people infected with STEC O103 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS),…