Washington company recalls beef trim over possible E. coli contamination

Jan 29, 2015

Over 1000 lbs being recalled

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Agency (FSIS) announced a recall of 1,620 pounds of boneless beef trimmings from Washington Beef out of Toppenish, Washington.

The products are being recalled because of a possible contamination of the products with E. coli 0157:H7.

The 60lb bulk bags of “TRIM 65/35 (FZN)” will feature “EST. 235” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

This is being considered as a Class I, high health risk recall because “there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

E. coli is a possibly deadly bacteria that can cause such symptoms as bloody diarrhea, dehydration and abdominal cramps. If contracted, some people could develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure caused by the “premature destruction of the red blood cells,” as described by the Mayo Clinic.

HUS symptoms can include easy bruising, decrease urination or blood in the urine, swelling and confusion. Children under five years of age and older adults are most commonly affected by HUS.

The products in question were shipped for use in hotels, restaurants and other institutions in Oregon and Washington.

FSIS recommends cooking any meat products including fresh or frozen to an internal temperature of 160°F and that colour is not a reliable indicator that the meat is cooked enough to kill harmful bacteria.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.