FSIS was notified of an investigation of Salmonella Newport illnesses. Those people reported consumption of several different USDA related products. A store receipt, potentially linking the purchase to a patient was received on September 19, 2018. FSIS then started traceback of ground beef products.
Eight patients have provided receipts or shopper card numbers, which help with traceback investigations. FSIS, the CDC, and state health agencies have determined that raw ground beef was the “probable source of the reported illnesses.” Traceback identified JBS as the common supplier.
Those sickened have illness onset dates range from August 5 to September 6, 2018. No more information was supplied about the patients. We don’t know their age range, when they got sick, or if anyone has been hospitalized in this particular outbreak.
The raw, non-intact beef items, including JBS ground beef, were packaged on different dates ranging from July 26, 2018 to September 7, 2018. You can see the long list of recalled products, along with brand name, product code, package, and package codes at the USDA web site. Some brand names include Cedar River Farms, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms, JBS Generic, Showcase, and Showcase/Walmart. The recalled foods include boneless beef sirloin trimmings, coarse and fine ground beef, and steak burgers.
Check your fridge and freezer to see if you have this product in your home. If you do, throw it out; do not cook with it. You can also take it back to the store where you bought it for a refund.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, nausea, muscle aches, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. If you have eaten ground beef, especially if it was cooked rare or not cooked to well done, and have been ill, see your doctor. You may be part of this JBS ground beef Salmonella outbreak.