167,427 Pounds of Beef Recalled for Possible E. Coli Bacteria

— -- A Nebraska-based meat company is recalling 167,427 pounds of ground beef because of possible E. coli contamination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A sample of All American Meats Inc. ground beef products tested positive for E. coli after a routine test conducted by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The ground beef was produced Oct. 16 with a sell-by date of Nov. 3. There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions to consumption of the meat, according to a USDA news release.

The meat was either sold in 60-pound or 80-pound packages and distributed to retail locations nationwide, according to the USDA. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will post a list of the retail distributors that carried the contaminated ground beef on its website.

All American Meats and the USDA did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment today. But Brian Brislen, an attorney representing All American Meats, said the company is complying with the USDA request.

"Our focus at this time is to cooperate fully with the recall protocol," Brislen said.

Consequently, Brislen said the company's preventative measures will ensure the safety of their consumers.

"Everything produced that day was recalled as a precaution,” he said.

But the USDA fears consumers are storing the tainted ground beef in their freezers, according to its release, according to its release. The products are marked with establishment number "EST. 20420," the USDA noted.

"Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,” the release said. “These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."

The FSIS conducts "recall effectiveness checks" routinely to ensure recalling firms notify their customers of recalls. The checks also assure consumers that the contaminated products will not be found on store shelves again.

The FSIS encourages consumers to only eat ground beef once it has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

The announcement comes just days after Chipotle said it was temporarily closing 43 of its restaurants in Washington State and Oregon “out of an abundance of caution” because of an E. coli outbreak at a number of its eating establishments.

It’s unclear whether there’s any connection.