Several Georgia stores are included in a recent recall by Colorado-based Cargill Meat Solutions.
The company is recalling more than 130,000 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the carcass that may be contaminated with E.coli O26, according to the the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The ground beef items were produced and packaged on June 21.
Area stores supplied by Cargill and affected in the recall are Foothills IGA Market in Marble Hill; and Target stores nationwide, including Georgia.
Danielle Schumann, a Target spokeswoman said there are 29 stores in metro Atlanta that may have sold two of the three recalled products in 21.28-ounce packages under the label Archer Farms Ground Beef.
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The products subject to recall carry establishment number “EST. 86R” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
On Aug. 16, , food and safety inspection office was notified of an investigation of E. coli O26 illnesses. FSIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state public health and agriculture partners determined that raw ground beef was the most likely source of the reported illnesses. The epidemiological investigation identified 17 illnesses and one death with illness onset dates ranging from July 5 to July 25.
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The E.coli bacteria can cause diarrhea or illness outside of the intestinal tract, according to CDC. People may not get sick for several days after eating the contaminated product.
The types of E. coli that can cause diarrhea can be transmitted through contaminated water or food or through contact with animals or persons.
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