Back in October, we delivered some bad news for red meat lovers–6.5 million pounds of the product was facing a recall due to salmonella contamination concerns. Though it’s been a couple of months since we first got news from the USDA about the tainted meat, it turns out that the federal agency has expanded the recall to include 5 million more pounds, putting the total recall amount at a staggering 12,093,271 pounds.

According to the FDA, the recall concerns products produced by JBS Tolleson, Inc. that were packed within the timeframe of July 26th and September 7, 2018. Obviously, no one would still have this meat sitting in their fridge now, but there is concern that customers could have the contaminated meat sitting on ice in their freezers.

This recall is classified as a Class I recall, meaning that the public is at a high risk for coming into contact with it. So far, more than 250 people have become sickened nationwide, with elderly people and those with autoimmune disorders being the most vulnerable. Common salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours of eating the tainted meat.

Ostensibly, hundreds of varieties of products are included in the recall, but all you need to know is that the tainted ones are labeled with ‘EST. 267’ inside the USDA mark of inspection. Additionally, most of these products ended up being branded as Kroger, Gourmet Burger, JBS Generic, and Showcase.

You can learn more about the specific recalled products by checking the label and official recall list.

If you do, in fact, find these products in your freezer, throw them out or return them to the point of purchase for a refund. And, if you feel that this ground beef has made you sick, report it to the USDA.

What are your thoughts on this latest ground beef recall? Did you purchase this product? If so, do you believe that it made you sick?