Northwest Finest Ground Beef USDA-FSIS Alert
An E. coli outbreak that has sickened six people in Washington and 2 people in Oregon has led to a USDA-FSIS public health alert regarding “Northwest Finest” ground beef products made by Interstate Meats, based in Oregon.
The illnesses were reported in late July and the first week of August. The Washington cases included one child and five adults in King, Island and Clallam counties. Two people were hospitalized and have since recovered.
The “Northwest Finest” ground beef products include the following:
- 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 7% FAT, NATURAL GROUND BEEF." The label bears a UPC code of 752907 600127.
- 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 10% FAT, Organic GROUND BEEF." No UPC code is available.
Each package also bears the establishment number "Est. 965" inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture mark of inspection as well as a sell-by date between August 1 and August 11.
The ground beef products were produced on various dates between July 19 and July 30 and distributed in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The organic product was sold at QFC, Fred Meyer, and Safeway stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. The natural product was sold at Safeway stores in Oregon, Washington and possibly elsewhere.
"The first eight confirmed cases were in six households, one in Oregon and five in Washington, said Dr. William E. Keene, senior epidemiologist at the Oregon Public Health Division's communicable disease section." Our investigation revealed that these households had purchased ground beef from the same source at grocery stores in Oregon and Washington."
Several other household members later became ill through what may have been person-to-person spread, Dr. Keene said.
We urge consumers to look for the recalled “Northwest Finest” ground beef products in refrigerators and freezers. If no one has eaten any of the ground beef, return it for a refund. If someone has eaten some of the beef, keep it for at least 10 days from the last day some of it was consumed. The incubation period for E. coli O157:H7 can be as long as 10 days. If someone becomes ill and is diagnosed with an E. coli O157:H7 infection, contact an E. coli lawyer immediately.
Pritzker Law has extensive E. coli lawsuit experience, and the firm is currently representing victims of E. coli outbreaks linked to beef. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.
