Carneco Says Tainted Beef Probably Eaten

Carneco Foods said most of the 130,981 pounds of frozen hamburger patties recalled Monday for possible contamination by E. coli bacteria probably have been consumed.

Almost all of the patties in 6- and 10-pound bags, produced Feb. 22 under the Northern Plains brand name, were distributed to Sam’s Club, a warehouse chain operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Club stores in 32 states and Puerto Rico were affected, Sam’s Club said.

There have been no reported illnesses linked to the beef, the Department of Agriculture said.