WASHINGTON — Meat processor American Foods Group Inc. said Monday it is recalling about 530,000 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, much of it distributed through Kroger Co., the No. 1 U.S. grocer.
Both companies said they had no knowledge of illness associated with the product, and American Foods, based in Green Bay, Wis., said none of the beef should still be on the market since the "sell-by" date passed more than a week ago.
E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration.
The recall of beef in 17 states comes as the result of follow-up sampling from beef recalled on Aug. 13, the U.S. Agriculture Department said.
All the ground beef in the latest recall has a "sell-by" date of Aug. 19, and USDA establishment number 410, the companies said.
The beef includes three- and five-pound tubes of ground beef, ground chuck and ground round sold by Kroger in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia, the USDA said.
About 280,000 pounds of the beef was distributed through Kroger, which said it is cooperating with the recall and will give full refunds or exchanges to customers who bring in beef they bought at the chain.
The recall also includes five-pound tubes of "pure ground beef" sold in South Carolina and 10-pound tubes sold to institutions.
Other states included in the recall are Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin, American Foods said.