USDA expands Nebraska Beef recall

OMAHA, Neb. – A review of Nebraska Beef Ltd.’s records prompted Thursday’s recall expansion because USDA investigators determined the company’s practices couldn’t effectively control E. coli bacteria on June 24.

About 1.36 million pounds of beef is included in the recall that began Aug. 8 after the company’s meat was linked to an E. coli outbreak in 10 states and Canada.

The initial announcement recalled 1.2 million pounds of primal cuts, subprimal cuts and boxed beef that were made on June 17, June 24 and July 8.

Nebraska Beef’s intact meat products have been linked to 27 illnesses in Canada, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

U.S. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Laura Reiser said investigators decided that 160,000 pounds of meat should be added to the recall after examining the June 24 records for the Omaha plant.

Most of the meat produced that day was included in the Aug. 8 recall announcement, but the company initially omitted some meat produced later in the day after it switched to a different product.

Reiser said the company did not thoroughly clean its equipment between products on June 24, so there was no way to ensure the meat produced later in the day was safe.