Nebraska Beef Ltd. recall now 5.3 million pounds

Federal investigators have linked Nebraska Beef's products to an outbreak of E. coli illnesses affecting 41 people in Michigan and Ohio.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement Thursday that it concluded Nebraska Beef's production practices were insufficient to effectively control E. coli bacteria.

"The products subject to recall may have been produced under insanitary conditions," the government said.

All the beef being recalled was sold to wholesalers and distributors for further processing so consumer labels likely will not include the "EST 19336" code that identifies Nebraska Beef.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that E. coli sickens about 73,000 people and kills 61 each year in the United States. Most of those who die have weak immune systems, such as the elderly or very young.

Nebraska Beef spokesman Bill Lamson did not respond to a message left Thursday afternoon.

USDA spokesman Roger Sockman said investigators traced the meat back to Nebraska Beef after finding two samples of beef that tested positive for E. coli at processing plants that bought meat from Nebraska Beef.

Sockman said investigators then visited Nebraska Beef's plant and found "unacceptable high levels of E. coli." Sockman said he did not know any other details.

Some Nebraska Beef products were sold by grocer Kroger Co. Kroger has recalled ground beef products in more than 20 states because the meat may have been contaminated.