WASHINGTON – Waco, Texas-based H & B Packing Co. Inc., announced on March 19 the recall of 73,742 lbs. of boneless beef products produced on March 6, 2017 that are suspected of containing E. coli O103. The State of Texas Meat Safety Assurance Unit discovered a positive sample of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and notified the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Products subject to the recall carry the H & B Packing label and the products include:
- 60-lb. box containing boneless beef with case code 69029 and production date 03/06/17.
- Multiple combo bins containing 73,682-lbs of boneless beef with case code 69029 and production date 03/06/17.
E. Coli strains of STEC, including STEC O103 are known for being more difficult to identify than STEC O157, according to FSIS. After consuming food containing the pathogen, illness onset is typically 3-4 days and includes symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms usually last about one week, with some exceptions. While there have been no reported cases of illness, “FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in customers’ freezers,” according to a statement.
