Colorado based Rocky Mountain Natural Meats has issued a recall
of ground bison meat and tenderized bison steaks over possible
E. coli contamination. E. coli is a foodborne bacteria that can
cause gastrointestinal infection, bloody diarrhea, urinary tract
infections, and pneumonia. The recall includes 66,000 pounds of
six different ground meat and steak products produced in May.
The meat is marked with “sell or freeze by” dates in June, said
the United States Agriculture Department in a release. Rocky
Mountain Natural Meats bison meat has been linked to five cases
of E.coli in Colorado and possibly another in New York. But
despite this blip of bad news, the bison meat market in the U.S.
has experienced tremendous growth. The National Bison
Association (NBA) says in 2009, 70,000 bison were slaughtered
under federal and state inspection in the U.S. The NBA’s website
lists bison as a healthier alternative to beef, with bison
having 2.42 grams of fat per 3.5 ounces, compared to choice cow
meat which as 18.54 gram