Cargill is initiating this recall as a result of its own investigation and information provided by federal health and regulatory agencies.
The ground beef involved was repackaged for sale to consumers by Cargill's customers. USDA has confirmed that the strain of Salmonella Enteritidis associated with the ground beef recall is not antibiotic resistant. There are more than 2,400 strains of naturally and randomly occurring Salmonella found throughout nature.
"Food borne illnesses are unfortunate and we are sorry for anyone who became sick from eating ground beef we may have produced," stated John Keating, president, Cargill Beef. "Ensuring our beef products are safe is our highest priority and an investigation is underway to determine the source of Salmonella in the animals we purchased for harvest and any actions necessary to prevent this from recurring."