According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) JBS Swift Beef Company of Greeley, Colo. is recalling about 41,280 pounds of beef products as they may be contaminated with E. coli.

The USDA said the products were produced on April 21 and 22 and were shipped to distributors and retailers in 13 states : Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

The Food and Safety Inspection Service detected the problem through microbiological sampling and an investigation into the distribution of other products said the USDA.

Chandler Keys, a JBS Swift spokesman said Thursday the recall was voluntary and no illnesses have been reported. A company news release added that stores in the states that the beef was shipped to have been asked to remove the product from the shelves.

"As a food company, our primary concern remains the safety of our customers. Therefore, we are working closely with the USDA to ensure that product is removed from the marketplace and the recall is completed successfully. We will err on the side of being overly cautious with this recall," added Keys.

They added that although some of the beef products could have been processed into ground beef by distributors, "the vast majority of the product was distributed to consumers as whole muscle cuts, greatly reducing the risk of illness."

All the recalled beef is in boxes bearing "EST. 969" and packaging date codes of 042109 or 042209. They have case codes of 21852, 21853, 31852, 31853, 33852, 33853, 41853, 41853, 79852, 79853 or 90853.

E. coli bacteria can cause abdominal cramping, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea and although healthy people tend to recover within a week, serious complications can arise in young children, older people, and people with weak immune systems.