Over 120,000 pounds of ground beef recalled due to fear of E. coli contamination

A manufacturer in New Jersey is recalling over 120,000 pounds of ground beef products because of concerns that it could potentially contain the illness-causing bacteria E. coli.

Regulators noticed during routine testing that some products from Swedesboro, New Jersey based Lakeside Refrigerated Services could be contaminated with E. coli O103, which is a strain more difficult to identify.

So far, there have been no confirmed reports of illness or other adverse reactions related to consumption of those products, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Still, the agency is encouraging people who might have purchased those items, which had been shipped to stores nationwide, to not eat them and either throw them away or take them back to the store where they were bought. All product codes and labels of the specific products have been made available on the FSIS website.

The notice was issued on Monday, as the FSIS said the recall concerned roughly 120,872 pounds of raw ground beef. The beef had been carried by brands like Thomas Farms, Nature’s Reserve, and Marketside Butcher.

All recalled items have the establishment number “EST. 46841” and were produced from February 1 through April 8. The agency added that because of the manufacture date, it had fears the affected products could be stuck in people’s freezers in addition to their refrigerators.

The FSIS noted that people can become sick from E. coli O103 for anywhere from 2 to 8 days after eating it, and symptoms typically include diarrhea and vomiting. Some people could potentially develop a more severe infection from the bacteria, which may include a type of kidney failure signaled by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output.

Regulators added that anyone with those symptoms should seek immediate emergency medical care.