Nearly 23,000 pounds of beef are being recalled after testing found the meat contained the life-threatening bacteria E.coli.
CS Beef Packers LLC, based in Idaho, is recalling 22,912 pounds of raw ground beef products, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.
The products were produced on January 14, 2026 and shipped to distributors in California, Idaho and Oregon for further distribution to food service locations.
The recalled items include cardboard cases of varying quantities of 10-pound chubs of three different beef products – Beef, Coarse Ground; Fire River Farms Classic Beef Fine Ground 73L; and Fire River Farms Classic Beef Fine Ground 81L.
They have use/freeze by dates of February 4, 2026 and are timestamped between 7:03 and 8:32.
The products also have the establishment number EST. 630 inside the USDA mark of inspection on the outside of the case, as well as printed directly onto the clear packaging of the chub.
The E.coli contamination was discovered during FSIS testing at a customer of CS Beef Packers. Sampling showed the presence of the O145 strain of the bacteria.
No illnesses have been reported in connection to the recall.
Shown above is a sample of the recalled ground beef products
Shown above are labels on the boxed of recalled ground beef products
The FSIS release stated: ‘FSIS is concerned that some products may be in foodservice freezers. Foodservice locations are urged not to serve these products.
‘These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.’
E.coli O145 is a Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC). It can sicken people between two to eight days after exposure.
Most people develop bloody diarrhea and vomiting, as well as stomach cramps, but recover within a week. However, in more severe cases, some people will develop a fatal kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
HUS is a type of kidney failure that can occur in anyone but is most common in children under five, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
Symptoms include easy bruising, decreased urine and a pale appearance. A kidney transplant may be necessary in severe or life-threatening instances.
Raw or undercooked ground beef is one of the most common sources of E.coli, but leafy greens like romaine and spinach are another major culprit, often contaminated in the field through tainted water or contact with livestock.
Roughly 75,000-90,000 Americans and at least 1,500 Britons contract E.coli each year, and around 100 people in the US and UK die from it per year. However, cases are vastly undercounted because most people recover without complication and do not get tested for the bacteria.
