Ground beef sold at Walmart recalled for possible E. coli contamination

(CNN) — More than 16,000 pounds of raw ground beef products were recalled by the US Department of Agriculture on Wednesday on concerns the meat may be contaminated with E. coli. The meat items, produced by Cargill Meat Solutions, were sold at Walmart retail locations across the United States.

According to a recall notice from the USDA, the potentially contaminated beef was produced on April 26 and April 27. There haven’t been any confirmed reports of illness due to the meat, according to the agency’s notice.

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson from Cargill Meat Solutions said the products were recalled “out of an abundance of caution.”

Cargill said the potentially contaminated product was distributed to Walmart stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as Washington, DC.

“At Walmart, the health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “As soon as we were notified of the recall, we immediately removed impacted products and informed customers who may have purchased these products.”

In total, there are six meat products that could be contaminated, including products labeled “93% Lean 7% Fat All Natural Lean Ground Beef” and “Prime Rib Beef Steak Burgers Patties,” the USDA said.

Walmart customers who have purchased any affected products should throw them away or return them to the place where they were purchased, according to the agency.

In an email, Cargill said it had set up a consumer hotline to answer any questions about the recall: 1-844-419-1574.