Agriculture Department recalls Cargill ground beef
Agriculture Department recalls Cargill ground beef
Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., based out of Wyalusing, Pa, is recalling about 8,500 pounds of ground beef that may have been tainted with Escherichia coli(E.Coli) O26 (a rare type), the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safetyand Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Saturday (8/29/2010).
The ground beef products of concern include 42-pound cases of GROUND BEEF FINE 90/10 with three 14-pound chubs each package, which was marked with "use/freeze by" date of "07.01/10" and an identifying code of "W69032".
The recalled beef products, produced on June 10, 2010, carry the company's establishment number "EST 9400" inside the USDA mark of inspection. The beef was shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut and Maryland where it was repacked into consumer-size packages and sold under various brand names.
The USDA believes certain BJ's Wholesale Club stores in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Virginia may have received the recalled beef products.
The FSIS advised food consumers to check their freezers and immediately discard any beef product subject to the recall.
The agency got aware of the problem on Aug 25, 2010 when it was notified by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources of an E. coli O26 cluster of illnesses. The agency determined that the ground beef products subject to the recall have something to do with the illnesses.
What prompted the recall, according to the USDA, were two cases of E.Coli illnesses in Maine and one in New York. A Cargill spokesman was cited that none of the three needed to be hospitalized.
E. coli O26 can cause bloody diarrhea,dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. At high risk are the very young, seniors and persons with weak or compromised immune systems, such as cancer and HIV patients.
This pathogenic bacterium is not as commonly publicized as E coli O157:h7, which is the worst type of E coli; that particular type can produce toxins and lead to bloody diarrhea; in extreme cases, it can cause kidney failure and even death.
According to foodsafety.gov, the common sources for E coli contamination are undercooked beef, especially hamburger, unpasteurized milk and juice, raw fruits and vegetables(such as sprouts), soft cheeses made from raw milk, feces of infected people, and contaminated water.
The incubation period is 1 to 8 days; once Escherichia coli illness occurs, it may last 5 to 10 days.
Those who experience E coli illness should not use antibioticsto treat this infection. Instead, they should drink plenty of fluids and get rest. If they can't drink fluids, they should call their doctors, according to foodsafety.gov.
The FSIS advises that food consumers should only eatground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F.
The strain of E. coli in this recall is different from one that severely injured a young Cold Spring dance instructor in 2007. One, Stephanie Smith lost use of her legs, bowel and bladder after eating a tainted hamburger produced by Cargill. She sued the company and reached a confidential settlement in May.
William Marler, a Seattle attorney who represented Smith, said Saturday that the E. coli 026 strain is considered rare because "no one is testing for this bug, so nobody knows what the prevalence is."
Legislation is pending in Congress that would require the USDA to broaden testing for E. coli to include the type in Saturday's recall (8/29/10).
Agriculture Department recalls Cargill ground beef
By: Alamgir Mohammad
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