Wisconsin Beef Containing Possible E. Coli Contamination Recalled

Raw Ground beef
Raw Ground beef (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you visited or were in Watertown, WI and consumed some of Glenn’s Market and Catering, you should probably see a doctor after you read this article. It turns out that the establishment is recalling more than a ton’s worth of raw ground beef that may possibly be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 – a strand that can cause bodily harm – according to an announcement made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) made on Tuesday.

The allegedly contaminated beef may have made its way into various sized packages of Glenn’s Market ground round, ground chuck, and ground beef sold between December 22, 2012 and January 4, 2013. The recall pertains only to those packages of beef that were sold from the retail case from Glenn’s Market and Catering in Watertown.

The agency became aware of the situation when reports of three cases of people with contamination of the E. coli strain reached their desks. So far, the cases have only been reported in the state. People that were sickened from allegedly consuming the beef experience the illness between December 29, 2012 and January 1, 2013. The reports showed that all three people consumed product raw ground; two consumed product ground purchased on Christmas Eve 2012 and third made a product purchase on the 30th of that same month before falling victim to the illness.

“FSIS is continuing to work with the Watertown Department of Public Health, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on this investigation,” the agency stated to demonstrate their efforts to keeping the community safe.

The scare is not over. The agency is under the impression that some consumers may still have the product at home in their freezers and may consume it at a later time. They offer the following advice to consumers when dealing with meat in general:

“FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160° F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.”

If you purchased the product and ate it and are feeling sick, go to a physician first, and then contact a personal injury lawyer. You may be entitled to compensation that can cover your emotional distress and any medical costs.

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