The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service on Wednesday named retailers in nine states that may have received tainted beef. Florida is one of those nine states listed in the massive beef recall, including specific stores in Stuart and Sebring. To date, 11 consumers in four states have been sickened by the tainted meat.
Two days earlier, the FSIS announced that 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products were being recalled on fears that they could be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
The 5 stores named in the states are:
— Gordon Food Service Marketplace stores in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin;
— Surf N Turf Market in Sebring, Florida;
— Giorgio’s Italian Delicatessen in Stuart, Florida;
— M Sixty Six General Store in Orleans, Michigan;
— Buchtel Food Mart in Buchtel, Ohio.
The recalled cases of beef originated from Wolverine Packing Company in Detroit, and were produced between March 31, 2014, and April 18, 2014.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the meat is in the process of being removed from store shelves, and until that process is over, consumers should return or destroy meat that has the code EST.2574B and has a production date between March 31-April 18, 2014. The meat is sold under a variety of labels.
The list released Wednesday is not final, the spokesperson said. More establishments will be added as the USDA continues an investigation.
The recall was categorized by the FSIS as “Class I”: a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
FSIS officials said in a press release the agency is continuing to work with state and federal public health partners on the investigation and provide updated information as it becomes available.