The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing a public health alert for ground beef patties imported from Canada because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and may be associated with an illness in Canada.

FSIS was notified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that ground beef patties associated with a Canadian health alert may have been exported to the United States. There has been one reported illness associated with ground beef product produced by the same establishment in Canada.

Products imported to the United States include:

• 10 lb. boxes of PRIME RIB BEEF PATTIES 8 oz, with product code 55317, and production code 11 NO 22

• 10 lb boxes of PRIME RIB BEEF PATTIES 71g, with product code 55391 and bearing a production code of 11 SE 01 or 12 JA 04

Imported products were produced by New Food Classics, CFIA Establishment 761 of Saskatoon, Ontario and were imported by Sysco Food Services to a distribution center in Blaine, Wash. for use by food service institutions.

FSIS has been unable to make contact with Sysco Food Services to discuss a recall of this product, so the agency is issuing a Public Health Alert to inform food service operations and consumers. FSIS will continue to provide information as it becomes available, including information about any related recall.

Canadian Health Authorities have been traciking this outbreak and recall for several weeks before it spilled across the border.