Grant Park Packing Recalls Raw Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. Coli Contamination

Grant Park Packing is recalling 53,200 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2019 (USDA FSIS release) – Grant Park Packing, a Franklin Park, Illinois, establishment, is recalling 53,200 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday. 

The bulk raw ground beef was produced on October 30-31, 2018 and November 1, 2018.  The following products are subject to recall:

  • 40-lb. bulk cardboard boxes of β€œNorth Star Imports & Sales, LLC. 100% GROUND BEEF BULK 80% LEAN/ 20% FAT” marked β€œFOR INSTITUTIONAL USE ONLY” with lot code GP.1051.18 and pack dates 10/30/2018, 10/31/2018, and 11/01/2018.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number β€œEST. 21781” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to Minnesota for further distribution and Kentucky for institutional use.

FSIS and its public health partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kentucky Department for Public Health, have been investigating an outbreak of E. coli O103. Unopened, intact, packages of ground beef collected as part of the ongoing investigation tested positive for E. coli O103 at an FSIS laboratory. The sample was collected at a point of service where multiple case patients ate. At this time, there is no definitive link between this positive product and the ongoing E. coli O103 outbreak. Further traceback and product analysis continues to determine if the recalled products are related to the E. coli O103 outbreak.

Many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 STEC, such as O103 because it is harder to identify than STEC O157:H7. People can become ill from STECs 2–8 days (average of 3–4 days) after exposure to the organism.

Most people infected with STEC O103 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by testing of a stool sample. Vigorous rehydration and other supportive care is the usual treatment; antibiotic treatment is generally not recommended. Most people recover within a week, but, rarely, some develop a more severe infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, is uncommon with STEC O103 infection. HUS can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

More