Costco contacts customers as beef recalled

Costco Wholesale has called and is sending letters to almost 300,000 customers in the Northwest and Midwest who might have bought meat that is part of a recall by JBS Swift Beef in Colorado.

The Issaquah-based warehouse chain became part of the recall when it was expanded on Sunday to include about 380,000 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. Costco bought roughly 4,300 pounds of the recalled meat.

The recall was expanded as a result of an investigation of 24 illnesses by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 18 of the illnesses appear to be associated with the contaminated meat.

Costco called about 267,000 customers on Tuesday and is sending letters to about 297,000 customers who overlap with the people who were called.

Everyone was contacted who bought fresh steaks, ribs and ground beef at a Costco location that might have received the contaminated meat from JBS between April 28 and May 28. They are being asked to return the meat for a refund.

No meat bought after May 28 is subject to recall.

"My concern is that mom could have frozen some, and I'm just trying to get it out of the freezers," said Craig Wilson, Costco's assistant vice president of food safety and quality assurance.

Melissa Allison: 206-464-3312 or mallison@seattletimes.com