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2007-8-30 23:05:28 |
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United Food Group issued a statement Saturday June 9 to voluntarily expand its early recall for fresh and frozen beef products due to possible contamination of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. The expanded recall covers 5.3 million pounds of fresh and frozen beef products produced between April 06 and 20. The recall is a precautionary move in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The recalled products are fresh ground beef packaged in tubes, fresh tray packs and frozen hamburger patties, United Food said in its statement. The company stressed that the recalled products are no long in retail stores, but some of the ground beef affected by the recall could be still stored in consumers' freezers. The additional product recall was triggered by the new information the company received regarding the purchase date of fresh ground beef in Arizona suspected of being contaminated, said Todd Waldman, senior vice president of United Food Group. So far, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of fourteen illnesses that may be linked to the ground beef in question, according to United Food. Three cases were reported in California, six in Arizona, two in Colorado, one in Utah, one in Idaho and one in Wyoming. All patients have reportedly recovered from the E coli infection. Waldman said all illnesses and findings of E. coli have been limited to fresh ground beef purchased in a very short window of time. Because the exact time and day for the contamination could not be pinpointed, the company decided to recall more products as a precautionary measure. The company said that E. coli was defected in fresh ground beef items only. Other ground beef products are not affected by the bacteria. Consumers should check and see if the package of the beef product they purchased carries the establishment number "EST.1241" inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the package. The affected beef products were distributed in 11 states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The affected retail stores include Albertsons, Bashas, Fry's, IGA, Safeway, Smart & Final, Barons Markets, Food 4 less, Food, Maxx, Food Source, Grocery Outlet, Max Foods, Raleys, Save A Lot, Save Mart Supermarkets, Scolaris, Super Savers, Grocery Warehouse, Savon, Smiths in the affected states. United Food advised consumers to discard the affected beef item or return it to the point of purchase for a refund. Consumers can contact United Food Group at 800 325 4164. E coli or Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a leading cause of foodborne illness. The bacteria cause 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths in the United States each year. The common symptom of E coli infection is bloody diarrhea and occasionally the infection causes kidney failure. Eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef is the common way for people to get infected with E coli. To prevent E coli infection, consumers need to cook ground beef thoroughly. That is, the ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F. For more information, visit the following links. 1) Press Release by the United Food Group; 2) Information on E coli infection at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm 3) Specific products subject to recall 4) Retailers in states affected 5) Recall Q & A 6) Beef Industry Safety Resource www.beefsafety.org |
