Beef recalled for salmonella risk

Meat-processing company JBS Tolleson Inc. is recalling 6.5 million pounds of raw beef products, sold under several brands, that may be contaminated with salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.

The recalled products were sold in stores nationwide and were packaged between July 26 and Sept. 7. Brands include Cedar River Farms, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms and Showcase, among others. Full lists of affected products and product labels are available on the USDA’s website.

The list of affected products includes brands named “JBS generic” and “Showcase/Walmart.” A spokeswoman for Arizona-based JBS said she couldn’t say whether the meat was labeled that way when sold to consumers or whether it bore the names of various store brands.

Affected products have the establishment number “EST. 267” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

People should throw the products away or return them to the place of purchase, the USDA said, expressing concern that some of the beef might be in buyers’ freezers.

The USDA’s food safety and inspection arm began to trace ground beef products after being notified Sept. 5 of cases of people infected with Salmonella Newport. It said 57 people from 16 states had become sick.

Common symptoms of salmonella infection begin after 12 to 72 hours and include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. People experiencing severe diarrhea may need to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.