Consumers in Alberta are being warned not to eat ground beef sold in January at Paradise Halal Meat Market in Edmonton, because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157: H7 bacteria.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday the alert covers fresh ground beef sold over the counter from Jan. 11 to Jan. 14, 2008.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the ground beef.

Food contaminated with E. coli O157: H7 may not look or smell spoiled, but eating food contaminated with the bacteria can cause severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. In rare cases, it can lead to seizures or strokes and some people may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

The bacteria would still remain after freezing.

For more information, consumers can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday).