A meat company in the United States is voluntarily recalling about 59,020 kgs of beef products in 15 states because of suspected contamination by the potentially deadly foodborne bacterium E coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture quoted by media reports Friday. (File Photo)

    BEIJING, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A meat company in the United States is voluntarily recalling about 59,020 kgs of beef products in 15 states because of suspected contamination by the potentially deadly foodborne bacterium E coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture quoted by media reports Friday.

    The beef products were made by David Creek Meats based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, between March 1 and April 30 for Gordon Food Service. They were despatched to distribution centres in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

    The items under recall include boxes of mechanically tenderized steaks and ground beef of different weights. 

    The possible E. coli contamination was dicovered by the Michigan Department of Public Health. No illnesses associated with using the affected beef products have been officially reported. But two cases were reported, according to the Saginaw News.

    Steaks are not usually considered a risky source of E. coli O157:H7. But in this case, the steak products being recalled were mechanically tenderized and bacteria may have been transferred from the surface to the inside of the meat.

    Mechanically tenderized beef products or those injected with a marinade or solution should be cooked at a higher temperature to achieve microbiological safety than steaks that are not mechanically tenderized.

    Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps that may be severe and diarrhea that may turn bloody within one to three days. E. coli sometimes can lead to complications including kidney failure.

    E coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration and is potentially fatal, especially to the very young, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system. A healthy person would have to be exposed to a very high dose of the pathogen to become fatally ill.

    (Agencies)