Ground beef recalled by Georgia Food Depot store

E Coli, Food Product Recalls

A Food Depot store in McDonough, Ga., has been forced to recall about 500 pounds of ground beef which may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

The ground beef included in the recall has not been implicated in any cases of illness, but tested positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria during testing conducted by Food Safety and Inspection Service agents, according to a release from the Dept. of Agriculture.

The recall includes 1-pound through 4-pound tray packs of ground beef sold at Food Depot (Store No. 24). The affected product has a Sell By date of 05/20/11 on the packaging.

The ground beef was processed and packed on May 19, 2011, and put on store shelves at the Food Depot location in McDonough.

E. coli poisoning can lead to serious complications for certain individuals and always poses the risk of getting sick after eating food contaminated with the bacteria.

Early signs of E. coli poisoning nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If these symptoms persist and worsen, they can head to bloody diarrhea, dehydration and could require hospitalization. In its most severe cases, E. coli poisoning can lead to a form of kidney failure.