Kroger-brand ground beef purchased at a Fred Meyer supermarket in Seattle and tested by Consumer Reports was found to have a deadly strain of E. coli called O157:H7. The tested package of 93 percent lean ground beef is marked with an “Establishment” (EST) number of 965, representing the plant where the meat was processed, and a “use or freeze by date” of 1/11/2022. (See the product label below.)
At this time, there is no recall of this ground beef, and no illnesses have been linked to the product. But CR’s food-safety experts warn consumers who might have purchased Kroger-branded 93 percent lean ground beef from any Kroger-owned grocery store to check their packages and to throw away the product if it contains that establishment number and “use or freeze by” date. Those stores include Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs, Dillons, and several other supermarkets. (See a complete list of Kroger-owned grocery stores.) Consumers also should not buy ground beef with those markings from any of those stores.
