Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has announced a recall of more than 40,000 pounds of ground beef that were distributed to Wal-Mart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. No illnesses related to the E. coli contaminated meat have been reported.

The samples tested by the company at the Sherman, Texas, plant had been positive for E. coli contamination.

The affected ground beef were those with sell-by dates of June 13 and sold in in prepackaged trays placed into the meat case.

The Tyson Foods Inc. recall is not connected to the multi-state beef recall done by California-based United Food Group LLC.

According to officials, Wal-Mart has already taken the products out of their meat cases and is in the process of getting rid of the recalled ground beef in its stock.

The recalled products cover: 1˝-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, 6Ľ-pound patties;1.33-pound trays of Angus steak burger all natural, 85/15, extra thick, 4 1/3-pound patties; 2Ľ-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef; and 5˝-pound trays of 73/27 all-natural ground beef.