SAN DIEGO COUNTY - County health officials are urging area residents to throw out ground beef products recently recalled because of possible E.coli contamination.

The meat, which is sold under nearly a dozen brand names, is sold locally at Albertsons and possibly Walmart stores, officials said. Albertsons has removed the products; environmental health officials said they are working with Walmart to do the same.

The Sept. 25 recall of the meat, from the Topps Meat Company in New Jersey, was voluntarily expanded after an additional product sample tested positive for the sometimes-deadly bacteria.

The recalled meat is printed with the establishment number "Est. 9748" and has sell-by dates between Sept. 25 of this year and Sept. 25, 2008. No illnesses have been reported in California, though 25 cases are under investigation in other states.

Consumers should also use a thermometer to make sure ground beef is cooked to a safe temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a full list of recalled products, visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov. Call the Topps consumer's recall hotline at (888) 734-0451.