By Gabriela Resto-Montero and Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo Reporter/Producers
UNION SQUARE — Trader Joe's shoppers should check their freezers for recalled beef that may be contaminated with a deadly E. coli strain.
The Union Square Trader Joe's confirmed they did carry the recalled ground beef brand but have pulled it from shelves and will reimburse customers if they bought any.
Fairbank Farms, based in Ashville, N.Y., recalled nearly 546,000 pounds of ground beef after one person died and two others became sick from E. coli.
It's unclear how much recalled beef was sold in Union Square. None of the tainted beef came from any Trader Joe's store, according to a company spokeswoman.
Stuyvesant Town resident Susan Ruane, 43, buys beef at Trader Joe's, but may stop because she's concerned about E. coli.
"I might turn to turkey ground meat versus regular ground beef for my lasagna," she said, adding that she'll continue shopping at Trader Joe's. "I'm pretty confident with the quality. They rotate material pretty well and take expired materials off [the shelves]."
The recalled meat was sold at several grocery store chains, including Trader Joe's in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Each package of the ground beef was labeled with "EST. 492" and was packaged Sept. 15 and 16. Some of the beef may have been given a sell-by date of Sept. 19 through Sept. 28. Additional beef was repackaged and would have different labels and sell-by dates.
Symptoms of E. coli usually appear a few days after a person eats contaminated food, and include stomach cramps, diarrhea that may turn bloody and can lead to kidney failure.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is telling concerned customers to call stores where they bought the beef.
Fairbank Farms has voluntarily recalled meat twice before, according to the Associated Press.
