recalls
E. coli in Ground Beef — Risk and Real-Time Recalls
Ground beef is one of the most well-known sources of E. coli O157:H7 in the US food supply. Because grinding combines meat from multiple animals, a single contaminated animal can contaminate a large batch of ground beef. FSIS issues ground beef recalls multiple times per year.
Why ground beef is higher risk
E. coli O157:H7 lives in the intestines of cattle. When cattle are slaughtered, bacteria on the hide can contaminate the carcass during processing. In intact cuts of beef, bacteria live only on the surface — which reaches safe temperatures quickly when cooking. But grinding incorporates surface contamination throughout the product, requiring thorough cooking to 160°F to kill the pathogen.
Ground beef recalls — what triggers them
FSIS issues ground beef recalls when E. coli O157:H7 is detected through routine testing, when illness cases are epidemiologically linked to a specific supplier, or when an in-plant positive test triggers expanded testing that reveals contamination. Recalls can involve tens of thousands of pounds of product distributed to retail stores and restaurants.
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