Arizona-based JBS Tolleson Inc. recalled 6,912,875 pounds of “various raw, non-intact beef” due to Salmonella outbreaks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced in a press release.
The raw, non-intact beef items, including ground beef, were packaged on various dates from July 26, 2018, to September 7, 2018. The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 267” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations and institutions nationwide.
The recall was issued after health officials were able to use receipts and shopper card numbers to trace back to the products that were found to be the “probable source” of the reported Salmonella cases.
The investigation has identified 57 patients from 16 states with illness onset dates ranging from August 5 to September 6, 2018.
AZCentral reported that the recalled product was from a decades-old plant in Tolleson, Arizona, where federal officials had previously complained about "egregious" and "inhumane" livestock conditions.
JBS also is the majority owner of the Pilgrim's Pride line, which in February recalled more than 101,000 pounds of breaded chicken due to possible foreign-matter contamination.
AZCentral said in its report that JBS USA spokeswoman Misty Barnes wrote the following in an email: "Yesterday, out of an abundance of caution, JBS USA initiated a voluntary recall of ground beef products from our Tolleson, Ariz., beef production facility due to the potential presence of Salmonella. Our priority at all times is consumer safety. We are working in close partnership with USDA to make sure all potentially impacted product is removed from stores and homes."
Salmonella in other news
The number of people who became ill in a Salmonella enteritidis outbreak linked to eggs from Gravel Ridge Farms announced in September has increased to 38, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
FDA, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, are investigating the multi-state outbreak which has been linked to shell eggs from Gravel Ridge Farms of Cullman, Alabama.
