Food recalls can be concerning because they indicate a risk to public health. While manufacturers can voluntarily recall their products, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) can also require such action. On May 1, 2024, Walmart began a massive ground beef recall, similar to one in 2020. Stores across the country are recalling over 16,000 pounds of raw ground beef due to possible contamination with E. coli 0157:H7.

According to the USDA’s announcement, Cargill Meat Solutions of Pennsylvania recalled the meat produced on April 26 and 27, 2024, notifying FSIS that previously separated products were inadvertently used in the production of the raw ground meat. Fortunately, no illnesses have been reported to date, and a Cargill Meat Solutions spokesperson told CNN on May 2 that the recall was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

While E. coli often causes stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting for about a week, it can cause kidney failure in more vulnerable individuals such as children or the elderly. For some, E. coli can even be fatal. Since customers cannot tell by appearance, smell or taste whether or not their recalled raw ground beef is contaminated with E. coli before eating it, the FSIS advises throwing it away unused.

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Food recalls are scary but necessary

Due to the potential for contamination, Cargill told CNN that the recalled products have been removed from Walmart stores in Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire and New York. A list of these stores can be found on Walmart’s corporate website.

Walmart told CNN that it shared news of the recall with customers who have already purchased those products. Customers who want a refund for their inedible beef can bring their receipt to their place of purchase. The USDA noted that several different packaged variations of that meat are at risk, including plastic-wrapped ground beef and pre-formed burger patties with product names such as “Angus Premium Ground Beef,” “Ground Beef Chuck,” “Prime Rib” and “Ground Beef Sirloin.”

When your health is at risk, it’s natural to blame the store or decide to never buy ground beef from Walmart again. But food safety is the number one goal when removing a product from shelves. While the risk of contamination can be concerning, recalls don’t have to be stigmatized. Surprisingly, the removal of over eight tons of ground beef from stores isn’t even the largest food recall in Walmart’s history. If consumers still have questions about the recall, Cargill Meat Solutions has set up a hotline at 1-844-419-1574.

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