MOUNT VERNON — The tomato salmonella scare is dying down, but fears over E. coli in Kroger beef is flaring up.

On June 25, Kroger launched a voluntary recall of ground beef sold between May 21 and June 8 sold at stores in Michigan, as well as Columbus and Toledo. On Wednesday, the company expanded the voluntary recall after receiving news from the USDA that the outbreak is linked to a supplier called Nebraska Beef out of Omaha.

The updated recall covers the Mount Vernon store, as well as all of Ohio and 19 other states, according to Gina Nicholson, food safety manager for Kroger’s Columbus branch. All beef from Nebraska Beef has been pulled and discarded, and equipment has been sanitized.

“All ground beef available now is completely safe,” she said.

Nicholson said signs have been posted in the meat department and at the customer service desk, informing customers of the recall. She added that the company can identifiy who may have purchased contaminated products from customers’ Kroger Plus cards; receipts they receive after their next purchase will contain information about the recall.

The new recall includes ground beef products sold in Styrofoam trays wrapped in clear cellophane, or purchased from in-store service counters. It does not include ground beef sold in 1-, 3-, and 5-pound tubes, or frozen ground beef patties. The updated recall includes products with “sell by” dates ranging from May 21 to July 3. The company has removed all ground beef from Nebraska Beef with sell by dates of May 21 or later.

Brian Benick, director of environmental services at the Knox County Health Department, said he considers the local Kroger store to be extremely clean.

“It’s probably the cleanest grocery store I’ve ever seen, and I’ve worked in four counties,” he said.

The Kroger recall followed in the wake of a lawsuit filed in Franklin County by a woman who alleges beef from a Kroger store made her sick with E. Coli. Central Ohio health departments have reported 18 cases of E. Coli illnesses. State health department officials advise against eating beef bought from Kroger between the dates speficified in the recall.

Symptoms of E. Coli infection include stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Health officials urge people to cook beef thoroughly and use a digitial thermometer to ensure that it has been cooked to a temperature of at least 160 degrees. They also encourage people to wash their hands with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat.

Concerns over tomato contamination seem to have subsided in the Mount Vernon area.

“People aren’t talking about it,” said Mary Ann Cunningham of The Village Market in Gambier, regarding the salmonella scare involving tomatoes which has caused 869 cases of illness nationally since April 10. “Once it was pretty much over here, we didn’t hear a word.”

Only seven cases of infection by the Salmonella saintpaul strain of bacteria have been reported in Ohio, while Illinois suffered 91 cases and Texas 346 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Tomatoes were the focus of the CDC’s investigation, which has since cleared Ohio-grown tomatoes as being safe. A recent statement by the CDC said the oganization was expanding its search to some other produce items as well, because it has not been able thus far to identify the source of the outbreak of the rare bacteria. In 2007, only seven cases of infection by Salmonella saintpaul were recorded. No new cases from the current outbreak have been reported in over two weeks.