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On August 28, 2010, Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. recalled an estimated 8,500 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced, according to a recent CNN news report.

The move came after three people, two in Maine and one in New York, were identified as becoming ill from a strain of E. coli, the government said. The USDA says it believes certain BJ’s Wholesale Club stores in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Virginia received the products.

The recalled ground beef was shipped June 11 to distribution centers, where it was repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different retail brand names. The USDA did not identify the brands.

The recalled beef bears the USDA establishment number “EST. 9400,” a product code of “W69032″ and a “use/freeze by” date of July 1.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Services, which said it became aware of the problem on August 5, “determined that there is an association between the ground beef products subject to recall and the cluster of illnesses in the states of Maine and New York.”

Saturday’s statement identified the strain as E. coli 026, which can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in severe cases, kidney failure.

The government “strongly encourages consumers to check their freezers and immediately discard any product subject to this recall.”

The government lists the recall as Class 1, meaning “there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

Consumers with questions regarding the recall should contact the Cargill consumer line at (877) 788-4953.

Each year, tens of millions of people in the United States are sickened and millions are killed or injured as a result of complications caused by food poisoning each year.

E. coli, a common food borne bacteria sickens tens of millions and injures or kills thousands of people in the United States each year. On August 6, 2010, Valley Meat Co., a Modesto-California based processor, recalled 1 million pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, according to a recent Bloomberg news report.

Seven people may have been sickened by a “rare strain” of the bacteria after eating the meat, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said on its website. The beef was produced between early October and mid-January, and the USDA is “concerned that some product may still be frozen and in consumers’ freezers,” the agency said.

The meat was distributed to grocery stores and food-service companies in California, Texas, Oregon, Arizona and internationally, the USDA said.

The recall was the first in Valley Meat’s 50-year history, according to a statement on the company’s website.

“We will investigate the matter thoroughly and take any measures deemed necessary to further elevate our safety standards, protect consumers and ensure confidence in our products,” the company said.

E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure, according to the USDA. The very young, seniors and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to food-borne illness.

On July 3, 2010, a Colorado company announced a recall of 66,000 pounds of bison meat sold nationwide after federal agriculture officials linked it to E. coli sicknesses, according to a recent Associated Press news report. Rocky Mountain Natural Meats in Henderson recalled the ground and tenderized bison after it was linked to sickening five people in Colorado and one in New York, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on July 2, 2010.

The USDA said the recalled bison meat was sold to stores nationwide between May 21 and May 27. The sicknesses were reported between June 1 and June 4.

All the products included in the recall have the establishment number “EST. 20247″ inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The recalled meats are:

• Great Ranger Brand All Natural Ground Bison, 16-ounce packages with sell- or freeze-by dates of June 21, June 22 or June 24.
• Nature’s Rancher Ground Buffalo, 16-ounce packages with a sell- or freeze-by date of June 22.
• The Buffalo Guys All Natural Ground Buffalo 90 percent lean, 16-ounce packages with a lot number of 0147.
• Great Range Brand All Natural Bison Steak Medallions, 12-ounce packages with sell- or freeze-by dates of June 23 and June 24.
• Great Range Brand All Natural Bison Sirloin Steaks, 12-ounce packages with sell- or freeze-by dates of June 23 and June 24.
• Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Inc. Bison 10 oz. Sirloin Steak, 15-pound boxes. These meats went to restaurants and have a Julian code of 0141.

Approximately 76 million people in the United States are sickened and 5,000 are killed by injuries or complications caused by food poisoning annually. Food-borne bacteria outbreaks such as salmonella, E. coli, and botulism are responsible for severe gastrointestinal injuries and deaths, particularly in the elderly, children, and the sick.