On Saturday night, the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service issued a public health alert regarding ground beef products that were distributed to retail stores and food service institutions. The specific retail stores and food service institutions affected were not mentioned in the alert or on Greater Omaha Packing Co.’s website or social media channels. The company has been contacted for more information.
The issue was discovered when Greater Omaha Packing Co. found that a portion of their product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 during an inventory check. Despite being aware of the contamination, the company inadvertently used the tainted beef in the production of ground beef products that were sent to customers.
Consumers with concerns about this alert can contact Gina Adami at Greater Omaha Packing Company via email at gadami@gmail.com or by phone at 402-575-4702. To prevent E. coli contamination, ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
E. coli O157:H7 can cause symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, stomachaches, and vomiting for up to seven days. Approximately 5-10% of individuals infected with this strain of E. coli develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe form of kidney failure that can be fatal
