FortBendNow.com

H-E-B food stores have announced the recall of certain meat products sold in its stores following concerns about possible E.coli contamination.

The retail grocer has four stores in Fort Bend County, including 4724 Highway 6 in Missouri City, 8900 Highway 6 in Missouri City, 19900 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land  and Fry Road at The Grand Parkway in Cinco Ranch.  

In connection with a voluntary national recall by JBS Swift Beef Company for possible E.coli in some of its products, H-E-B is notifying customers and advising them to check their freezers for the following beef products:

-         Raw beef briskets with plant inspection #969 (EST #969) with sell-by dates between 5/12 and 6/20.

-         Raw beef inside skirt steaks in a Styrofoam tray with sell-by dates between 5/4 and 6/20.

-         Hill Country Fare beef for fajitas with a sell-by date of 5/23.

-         Any fresh ground beef in a Styrofoam tray with sell-by dates between 5/9 and 6/20.

In announcing the recall, the grocery chain said none of the recalled beef is still in its stores.

“Currently, H-E-B does not have any of the impacted JBS Swift Beef products in its stores or in its supply chain.  H-E-B has no reported illnesses, and there have been no reports of illnesses in Texas due to this recall,” the company said. 

H-E-B stressed it was issuing the recall “in an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our customers.”

Anyone having any of the recalled meat products should return them to the nearest H-E-B store for a refund or replacement.

On June 24, Colorado-based JBS Swift Beef Company announced a voluntary recall of 41,280 pounds of whole muscle cut beef products after some ground beef was found to have possibly been contaminated with the E.coli bacteria.

Four days later, after consulting with the USDA and checking company records, JBS Swift expanded the recall to cover an additional 380,000 pounds of meat.

The company said while the product was distributed as whole muscle cuts, some of it was likely further processed through trimming and grinding into ground beef by its retail customers.

The whole muscle cuts involved in the recall were produced at JBS Swift Beef Company’s facility in Greeley, Colo. on April 21 and then distributed nationally and internationally.

JBS spokesperson Chandler Keys said the company will continue to work closely with the USDA to ensure the suspect beef is removed from the marketplace despite the fact the contamination may not have occurred at JBS Swift.

“It is important for consumers to note that the recalled product from the date in question was sold by JBS as whole muscle cuts, not as ground beef. The ground beef that might have been associated with illness was produced by other companies who often do not use the antimicrobial intervention steps we employ in our facility to reduce the risk of the beef products,” Keys said. “Nevertheless, we have agreed to expand our recall of whole muscle cuts out of an abundance of caution for consumers.”

Escherichia coli, commonly known as E.coli, is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning resulting in illness and, in extreme cases, death. Those particularly vulnerable are the elderly, the very young and those with compromised immune systems.