JBS Swift Beef Company from Greeley, Colorado is recalling an additional 380,000 pounds of beef products suspected of being contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, which is a deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and kidney failure.

The original June 24 recall affected some 40,000 pounds of meat, but the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the wider recall last weekend.

USDA officials have been working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) after identifying 24 illness in multiple states. Eighteen of the reported illnesses appear connected according to the USDA.

Production of the recalled products occurred on April 21, 2009. The beef products bear a "EST. 969" inside the USDA stamp and have an identifying date stamp of "042109" with a time stamp interval of "0618" to "1130."

Since these beef products went through further processing at retail outlets, it is unlikely the "EST. 969" stamp was on any labels consumers purchased.

Though most of the meats were primal or sub-primal cuts used typically for steaks and roasts, it is possible retailers ground the meat. Ground meat is particularly dangerous when it comes to E. coli because the pathogens that normally reside on the surface of the meat can be ground into the center portions of a patty. Improper cooking could put people at risk.

With current milk and cookie dough recalls, the spotlight turns back to food safety reform. Congress appears ready to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act, which promises to bolster the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) powers.

The FDA watches over approximately 80 percent of the food supply, but the USDA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also regulate food. Critics of proposed reforms warn there must be a consolidation of authority and responsibility rather than the current multi-agency approach.

Concerned customers may contact the company's hotline: (800) 685-6328 or contact retailers for more information about the recall.

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