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Posted: 2:52 PM- Smith's Food & Drug Stores has removed from shelves in its Utah supermarkets some ground beef products that have been linked to illnesses caused by the E. coli bacteria.
The chain's parent firm, Kroger Co., recalled meat obtained from one of its suppliers, Omaha-based Nebraska Beef Ltd., traced to illnesses in 35 people in Michigan and Ohio from May 31 to June 8.
There have been no reports of illness in Utah.
A spokeswoman for Kroger Co., the nation's largest supermarket chain, said today that as a precaution all ground beef supplied by Nebraska Beef has been removed from its affiliates in about 20 states.
The company does business in Utah under the Smith's Food and Drug and Smith's Marketplace names.
Utah consumers are asked to check for Styrofoam trays of ground beef with sell-by dates May 21 through July 3; ground beef from the meat counter with sell-by dates May 21 to July 2; and 16-ounce packages of private-selection natural ground beef, with sell-by dates July 11 to July 21.
In addition, consumers using their Smith's Fresh Values card will be notified of the alert at the check-out stand if they had earlier purchased any of the implicated meat.
Symptoms of E. coli infection can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Most people recover within five to seven days, federal officials said.
For questions, call (402) 733-0415 or go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov" Target="_BLANK">http://www.fsis.usda.gov.