Beef recalled due to possible E.coli contamination

Washington

-- An investigation spurred by illness in Ohio and continued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has resulted in the recall of nearly 96,000 pounds of ground beef that could be contaminated with

E. coli

O157:H7.

Valley Meats LLC, of Coal Valley, Ill., announced the recall May 21 following an investigation by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Valley Meats beef brands affected by the recall include 3S, Gillmaster, J & B, Klub Brand, Thick 'N Savory and Ultimate Brand. Most of the items recalls are ground beef, frozen hamburger patties and other frozen beef meals produced on March 10 and distributed nationwide, mainly to restaurants.

The contamination was discovered through an epidemiological investigation of illnesses in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), which alerted the USDA about a cluster of E. coli infections May 13. Illnesses also have been reported in Pennsylvania and Illinois, according to the ODH.

The complete list of recalled products can be found here.