Ground Beef Recall Tied to Ohio E. Coli Outbreak

Re-post courtesy of: Food Safety News

Ground Beef Recall Tied to Ohio E. Coli Outbreak
BY MARY ROTHSCHILD | SEP 28, 2011

An undisclosed number of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Ohio has prompted Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. to recall of 131,300 pounds of ground beef, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced just before 10 p.m. PDT Tuesday.

In a news release, FSIS said it became aware of the problem Monday when it was notified by the Ohio Department of Health of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Butler County with onset dates from Sept. 8 through Sept. 11. The number of illnesses wasn't given.

On Tuesday, results of tests on ground beef collected from "the patients' home" on Sept. 19 were returned and were positive for the pathogen, the FSIS said.

The agency and Tyson said they are concerned that consumers may freeze the ground beef from the suspect lots before use, and that some of the ground beef may be in consumers' freezers. "FSIS strongly encourages consumers to check their freezers and immediately discard any product subject to this recall," the statement advised.

The ground beef being recalled is:

• 5-pound chubs (cylinders of ground beef) of Kroger-brand "GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT," packed in 40-pound cases containing eight chubs. Cases bear an identifying product code of "D-0211 QW." These products were produced on Aug. 23, 2011 and were shipped to distribution centers in Indiana and Tennessee for retail sale.
• 3-pound chubs of Butcher's Brand "GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT," packed in 36-pound cases each containing 12 chubs. Cases bear an identifying product code of "D-0211 LWIF." These products were produced on Aug. 23, 2011 and were shipped to distribution centers in North Carolina and South Carolina for retail sale.
• 3-pound chubs of a generic label "GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN - 27% FAT," packed in 36-pound cases each containing 12 chubs. Cases bear an identifying product code of "D-0211 LWI." These products were produced on Aug. 23, 2011 and were shipped to distribution centers in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin for retail sale.

The products subject to recall have a "BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY" date of "SEP 12 2011" and the establishment number "245D" ink jetted along the package seam. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS' website.

FSIS said it is continuing to work with Ohio public health officials on the investigation.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall should contact the company at 1-866-328-3156.

Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° F, as measured by a tip-sensitive food thermometer.

Re-post courtesy of: Food Safety News