Massive Arizona beef recall expands to 12M pounds

TOLLESON, Ariz. (KSAZ) - A massive beef recall from an Arizona company has been expanded to more than 12 million pounds due to possible salmonella contamination.

On Tuesday, the United States Department of Agriculture announced JBS Tolleson, Inc. is now recalling 12,093,271 pounds of various, non-intact raw beef products that may be contaminated with salmonella. The company initially recalled over 6.5 million pounds of beef in October.

All product supplied from JBS packaging facility in Tolleson, AZ. Products include Showcase/WalMart, JBS Generic, Grass Run Farms Natural, Gourmet Burger, Commor Perfect Choice & Cedar River Farms.

The USDA released a list of hundreds of products that are subject to the recall. The affected products include Kroger, Cedar River Farms Natural Beef, Comnor Perfect Choice, Grass Run Farms Natural Beef, Showcase, Showcase/Walmart, Gourmet Burger, and JBS Generic.

The affected products have an establishment number of "EST. 267" inside the USDA mark of inspection and were packaged from July 26 to September 7, 2018. [Products List (PDF) | Product Labels (PDF only)

The raw beef was shipped nationwide to retail locations.

>>Product label photos
>>Product list (brand names, product description, distribution area)

The USDA says 57 people from 16 states have reported getting sick. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are 15 confirmed cases of salmonella illnesses linked to raw ground beef.

"Salmonella can cause serious illness, so it is critical that everyone take precautions by not eating the recalled meat and thoroughly cooking all beef products," said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. "If you or someone in your family recently ate ground beef and are experiencing severe symptoms, please contact your health care provider."

"The most important thing people can do is to throw away beef products that they have at home that have been recalled," said Jessica Rigler, Assistant Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. "Even if they've eaten some of that beef and they're not feeling ill, and the family hasn't become sick, it's still really important to get rid of that product."

>>CDC: Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Ground Beef

Per the USDA, "Salmonella is prevalent and can be present in raw poultry and meat - no raw poultry or meat is sterile. In addition to discarding the product associated with this recall, consumers can protect themselves now and in the future by ALWAYS cooking their raw meat to a safe internal temperature, which is measured by using a food thermometer. The cooking process kills the Salmonella. No one should be eating partially cooked or raw meat. Additionally, it is essential that people wash their hands after handling raw poultry, meat, and pet food to avoid cross contamination."

Salmonella infection symptoms:

Diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, but in some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact the JBS USA Consumer Hotline at (800) 727-2333.