Federal food safety officials are urging shoppers in six states to check their refrigerators and freezers after a popular grass-fed ground beef line was pulled from the market over an E. coli risk. The nationwide alert centers on thousands of pounds of vacuum-sealed one-pound packages that may still be in home kitchens, despite being removed from store shelves. With no illnesses reported so far, regulators say the priority now is finding and discarding any remaining meat before it can make anyone sick.
The recall, which affects roughly the equivalent of a fully loaded delivery truck of meat, underscores how a single processing lot can ripple across multiple regions in days. It also highlights the tension between the appeal of premium, grass-fed branding and the reality that all raw ground beef, regardless of marketing, carries microbial risks if something goes wrong at slaughter or grinding.
What the USDA recall covers and why it matters
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that Nearly 3,000 Pounds of raw ground beef were flagged after routine testing detected a dangerous strain of E. coli. In a separate consumer alert, the agency described the action as a Dec USDA, Announces Recall of Nearly, Pounds of Ground Beef Due, Possible, Coli Contamination, emphasizing that the products should not be eaten under any circumstances. The affected meat is marketed as Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef, a Product name: Forward Farms Grass, Fed Ground Beef that is sold in 16 oz (1 lb) packages, with the Size and Packaging listed as vacuum-sealed on federal recall notices.
Regulators say the contamination involves a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26 strain, which can trigger severe gastrointestinal illness and, in some cases, life-threatening complications. The official FSIS Announcement from WASHINGTON describes how Mountain West Food Group, LLC, a Heyburn, Idaho establishment, initiated the recall after federal testing confirmed the presence of E. coli (STEC) in specific production lots, prompting the agency to classify the incident as a high priority FSIS, Announcement, WASHINGTON, Mountain West Food Group, LLC. Officials stress that even though no illnesses have been linked so far, the volume involved and the multi-state distribution justify a broad warning.
How much meat is involved and where it came from
Federal documents describe the recall in slightly different figures, reflecting how weights are rounded in public messaging. One consumer advisory notes that Mountain West Food Group is recalling about 2,855 pounds of Forward Farms-branded ground beef, while other summaries refer to Nearly 3,000 pounds or 3,000 pounds of ground beef products. A separate breakdown of the supply chain characterizes the incident as involving Raw Ground Beef Shipped to Distributors in 6 States Recalled for, Coli Risk About 2,800 pounds, underscoring that the precise tally depends on how trim, packaging, and sample lots are counted.
What is consistent across the reporting is the origin of the meat and the branding that consumers would recognize. The plant at the center of the recall is Mountain West Food Group, a Heyburn, Idaho facility that grinds and packages the Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef line for retail sale. Coverage of the incident notes that Nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef products from the Heyburn, Idaho operation were distributed before the contamination was detected, and that the items were primarily sold as 16 oz vacuum-sealed bricks with Forward Farms branding.
Which six states are affected
According to federal distribution records, the recalled Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef was shipped to distributors in six states: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Washington. A federal summary framed the situation as Ground beef recalled in 6 states over possible E. coli contamination, listing these locations as the primary markets where the product reached wholesalers and retailers before the recall was triggered Ground, Mary Cunningham, CBS.
Additional coverage describes the incident as Nearly 3,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled Across, States Due, Coli Contamination, reinforcing that the six-state footprint is central to the federal response and consumer outreach Nearly, Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled Across, States Due, Coli Contamination, Pounds of. A separate explainer on Where the recalled ground beef was sold notes that, According to the USDA, the packages were distributed to the following states before being pulled from the supply chain, again listing California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Washington as the affected markets Dec, Where, According, USDA.
How to identify the recalled Forward Farms packages
For shoppers, the most practical question is whether the ground beef in their fridge or freezer is part of the recall. Federal notices specify that the affected Product name: Forward Farms Grass, Fed Ground Beef comes in 16 oz (1 lb) vacuum-sealed packages, with the Size and Packaging clearly printed on the label alongside the Forward Farms branding Jan, Product, Forward Farms Grass, Fed Ground Beef, Size, Packaging. The packages also carry specific use-by dates and establishment codes that regulators have flagged, and consumers are urged to cross-check those details against official recall lists posted online or at store customer service desks.
Retail listings for the Forward Farms line show that the product is typically sold as a premium, grass-fed option, often highlighted in meat cases and online grocery platforms as a higher-end choice for burgers, tacos, and weeknight meals. One shopping search result for the Forward Farms ground beef product shows the familiar one-pound vacuum pack that many shoppers would recognize from their local supermarket. Officials advise that if consumers are unsure whether their package matches the recalled lot, they should err on the side of caution and treat any Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef in the affected states as suspect until they can confirm the codes.
The E. coli O26 risk and potential health effects
The contamination at the heart of the recall involves a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O26 strain, a pathogen that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness even in otherwise healthy adults. Federal food safety experts describe the incident as a Dec batch of ground beef sold in six states being pulled from distribution after testing turned up a possible E. coli O26 contamination, with regulators warning that complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome are possible, though less common Dec. Health guidance tied to the recall notes that symptoms can include Diarrhea, which may become bloody, Intense abdominal pain, Nausea or vomiting, and Mild fever, and that Medical care should be sought quickly if these signs appear after eating ground beef from the affected lots Jan, Diarrhea, Intense, Nausea, Mild, Medical.
Public health officials emphasize that children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of serious complications from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections. A detailed consumer advisory on the Forward Farms recall explains that the same O26 strain has been linked to kidney damage in rare cases, and that early medical evaluation can be critical if symptoms escalate. The Health.com overview of the Product name: Forward Farms Grass, Fed Ground Beef recall notes that hemolytic uremic syndrome is a known complication of E. coli infections, particularly in younger patients, and urges anyone experiencing severe or worsening symptoms after eating the recalled beef to contact a healthcare provider immediately complication of E. coli infections.
What consumers are being told to do right now
Federal and local health officials are using unusually direct language in their advice to shoppers who may have purchased the affected Forward Farms products. One widely circulated alert tells consumers to Throw the product away immediately if they find Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef in their refrigerator or freezer that matches the recalled lot information, rather than attempting to cook it to a safe temperature or return it to the store Jan, Throw the, Michele Laufik, Mon, PST, Kinga Krzeminska. The same guidance stresses that consumers should wash and sanitize any surfaces, utensils, or refrigerator drawers that may have come into contact with the raw meat or its packaging.
Key Points in the federal messaging highlight that Mountain West Food Group is recalling about 2,855 pounds of Forwar branded ground beef and that consumers should not eat, sell, or serve any of the affected packages under any circumstances Jan, Throw the, Key Points, Mountain West Food Group, Forwar. A separate summary of the Dec Beef recall issued in six states notes that Nearly Dec, Beef, Nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef were affected and reiterates that the safest course of action is disposal, not consumption. Officials also encourage consumers who believe they became ill after eating the product to contact their healthcare provider and local health department so any potential cases can be investigated.
How the contamination was discovered and traced
The recall traces back to routine federal testing that flagged a potential problem before any illnesses were reported. According to a detailed account of the incident, If you eat beef in your family, be warned: Mountain West Food Group has recalled approximately 2,855 pounds of raw ground beef after testing confirms E. coli in a batch that had already been shipped for further distribution to retailers. That sequence, in which contamination is caught through surveillance rather than an outbreak investigation, is exactly how the federal meat inspection system is designed to work, even if it means recalling product that has already reached store shelves.
Regulators say the contaminated lots were identified through a combination of plant records, establishment codes, and distribution logs that allowed them to map where the affected Forward Farms packages had been shipped. A broader overview of the situation characterizes it as Raw Ground Beef Shipped to Distributors in 6 States Recalled for, Coli Risk About 2,800 pounds, underscoring that the recall is targeted to specific production runs rather than the entire Forward Farms brand Raw Ground Beef Shipped, Distributors, States Recalled for, Coli Risk About. Officials note that this kind of traceability, while complex, is crucial for limiting both public health risk and unnecessary food waste when contamination is detected.
Why grass-fed branding does not eliminate food safety risks
The Forward Farms incident has drawn extra attention because the product is marketed as a grass-fed, premium option, a category many consumers associate with higher quality and, sometimes incorrectly, with lower food safety risk. Coverage of the recall points out that Nearly Jan, Nearly, Heyburn, Idaho, Mount 3,000 pounds of ground beef products from the Heyburn, Idaho-based Mountain West operation were affected, despite the brand’s emphasis on grass-fed sourcing. Another summary describes the situation as Grass-fed ground beef that was distributed to six states has been recalled over possible E. coli contamination, underscoring that production practices and marketing claims do not change the basic microbiological risks associated with raw ground beef Grass, Phot.
Food safety experts note that E. coli contamination typically occurs during slaughter and processing, when bacteria from cattle intestines can come into contact with meat surfaces. Once beef is ground, any bacteria present can be mixed throughout the product, which is why ground beef carries a higher risk than intact steaks or roasts if it is undercooked. A federal advisory on the Forward Farms recall reiterates that all ground beef, including grass-fed varieties, should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill pathogens, and that no amount of branding can substitute for proper handling and cooking. The Dec overview of Ground beef recalled in 6 states over dangerous E. coli strain notes that, fortunately, no illnesses have been reported so far, but that consumers should contact a healthcare provider if they develop symptoms after eating the product Fortunately, no illnesses have been.
What this recall signals about the broader beef supply
While the Forward Farms recall is significant in scale, food safety officials stress that it should be understood as evidence that surveillance systems are catching problems, not as a sign that the entire beef supply is unsafe. A Dec consumer explainer frames the situation as Ground beef recalled in 6 states over possible E. coli contamination and notes that the affected product was limited to specific lots shipped to distributors in the named states, rather than a nationwide shutdown of beef production distributors in the following states. Another summary of the Dec incident emphasizes that the ground beef was sold under the Forward Farms label and that the recall was initiated quickly after testing, which likely reduced the number of packages that reached consumers The ground beef was sold.
At the same time, the episode is a reminder that even relatively small processing plants can distribute product across a wide geographic area in a short period, especially when they supply multiple grocery chains or online retailers. A Dec overview of the recall notes that Ground beef recalled in 6 states over dangerous E. coli strain involved a batch that had already been shipped to multiple regions before the contamination was detected, highlighting the importance of rapid traceability and communication when problems arise A batch of ground beef. For consumers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: check any Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef in the freezer, follow recall guidance if it matches the affected lots, and continue to handle and cook all ground beef with the same care, regardless of where it was purchased.
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