So you read all the grilling guides, scouted a park, found the grilling kit you gave your dad for Christmas that he hasn’t touched since. You got your Jones BBQ sauce, and you opted for Hawaiian buns. But most importantly, you got your meat. Or at least you thought you did.
Unfortunately, we’ve learned that Aurora Packaging Company is recalling about 62,000 pounds of raw beef products out of fear they might be contaminated with E.coli. The contamination was discovered after a random sample testing alerted authorities.
While there have been no confirmed reports of illness or negative symptoms, the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has put together a spreadsheet identifying the affected products, which were packaged on April 19th.
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These products have been shipped all over the country for further distribution and the FSIS is worried that the bulk of the beef is sitting in “institutional facility freezers.” Aurora Packaging Company is a meat processing and packaging company based out of North Aurora Illinois.
Over 40 different beef products are affected, including steak cuts, brisket cuts, ribeyes, and ribs. If you're concerned, check the product’s USDA mark. If the establishment number reads “EST. 788” then you should either dispose of the product or return it to the store where you purchased it.
E.coli can be deadly but more commonly causes bloody diarrhea, extreme dehydration, and abdominal cramps that can last for about a week. While most people recover within the week, more escalated symptoms of e.coli exposure include a type of kidney failure known as HUS and mainly affects infants and the elderly. People experiencing pallor, infrequent urination and easy bruising should seek medical attention.
You might want to use this recall as an excuse to pivot and make this Memorial Day a hot dog-centric festivity and finally get around to trying out Antoni Porowski's topping suggestions.