Latest food scare leaves U.S. consumers wondering just how safe their food is?

The latest food scare over beef possibly contaminated with E. coli, has left many consumers in the U.S. wondering just how safe the food they buy really is.

This most recent alert concerns fresh and frozen beef produced and distributed by Southern California meat packer the United Food Group and the company have now expanded it's recall of the meat because of the potential E. coli threat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the expansion includes 5.7 million pounds of fresh and frozen beef which was butchered and shipped in April, and though no longer on store shelves, could well be in consumers' freezers.

If that is the case, the public are advised to return these products to the store as they may be contaminated with the potentially deadly bacteria.

To date fourteen people in six Western states have fallen ill after eating the beef but all have fortunately recovered.

The initial recall by United Foods on June 3rd involved 75,000 pounds of beef; an additional 370,000 pounds was recalled three days later.

According to the USDA the recall is being expanded following a positive test of fresh ground beef subject to the recall, provided by a patient in Arizona.

The E. coli bacteria O157:H7 can cause diarrhea and dehydration and children, the elderly and people with poor immune systems are particularly at risk.

The labels of the products subject to the recall carry the establishment number "EST. 1241" inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the package.

All of the products carry the use by/sell by date between April 15th and May 7th, a freeze by date between April 23rd and May 7th, or a production date between April 6th and April 20th.

The frozen ground beef patty products carry a sell by date between August 6th and January 20th, 2008, the department said.

The recall involves the grocery chain Safeway which is also expanding its voluntary recall of several fresh ground beef products in Arizona following United's expanded recall; the products have sell-by dates of April 7th through May 1st, 2007.

Safeway is also recalling tubes of Moran's "All Natural 73 percent Lean Ground Beef 5 LB with 27 percent Fat" sold in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and New Mexico stores with a sell-by date of April 29th.