Concerns about possible E. coli contamination have led to the recall of about 8,500 pounds of ground beef distributed by Pennsylvania-based Cargill Meat Solutions, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said that three instances of illness in New York and Maine have been linked to the recalled ground beef, the Washington Post reported.
The beef was shipped in in cases of 14-pound packages to distribution centers in Connecticut and Maryland for further distribution in smaller packages for consumers sales under different retail brand names, said the service.
Officials said the recalled ground beef has a product code of W69032 and carries the establishment number EST. 9400 inside the USDA mark of inspection. The ground beef was produced on June 11 and comes in packages with a use-by/freeze-by date of July 1, the Post reported.
The ground beef should be eaten only if it has been cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the Food Safety and Inspection Service advised. The only way to confirm that temperature is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.