FSIS was notified of the illness on Oct. 17. Epidemiological and traceback investigations found a link between the ground beef from Coon Rapids Costco and the illness, FSIS said. The consumer, who lives in Minnesota, became sick on Sept. 29. Investigators and Costco are concerned that some product may still be in consumers' freezers.
Food safety authorities said the affected product was prepared from bull meat and finely ground beef from the Costco Wholesale plant in Tracy, Calif., and bench trim prepared at the Costco Wholesale in Coon Rapids. The steaks or roasts that were the source of the bench trim may have originated from as many as 16 federally inspected establishments, according to FSIS.
The product subject to recall includes 383 units of 88 percent lean fresh ground beef (88/12). It bears the Costco item number 33724 under the Costco label. This product was sold directly to 342 consumers in a Costco located at 12547 Riverdale Blvd., Coon Rapids, Minn., between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7.
