California Firm Expands Recall of Ground Beef For Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination

California Firm Expands Recall of Ground Beef for Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination

Recall Release	CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-025-2007	HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Steven Cohen

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2007 - United Food Group, LLC, a Vernon, Calif., establishment, is voluntarily expanding its June 3 and 6 recalls to include a total of approximately 5.7 million pounds of both fresh and frozen ground beef products produced between April 6 and April 20 because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Preparing Ground Beef For Safe Consumption

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHOTLINE or visit www.fsis.usda.gov

Although the product(s) being recalled should be returned to the point of purchase, consumers preparing other ground beef products should heed the following advice.

Consumers should only eat ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe temperature of 160 °F. When a ground beef patty is cooked to 160 °F throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color.

The only way to be sure a ground beef patty is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use an accurate food thermometer.

Color is not a reliable indicator that ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.

Eating a pink or red ground beef patty without first verifying that the safe temperature of 160 °F has been reached is a significant risk factor for foodborne illness.

Thermometer use to ensure proper cooking temperature is especially important for those who cook or serve ground beef patties to people most at risk for foodborne illness because E. coli O157:H7 can lead to serious illness or even death. Those most at risk include young children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems.

The recall is being expanded out of an abundance of caution following a positive test of fresh ground beef subject to this recall provided by a patient in Arizona. This tested product was sold under a major grocery store label, as opposed to a pre-packaged chub shipped from the recalling firm.

An investigation carried out by the California Department of Health Services and the Colorado Department of Health, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preceded the recall of June 3. Illnesses occurred in Arizona (6), California (3), Colorado (2), Idaho (1), Utah (1) and Wyoming (1). Illness onset dates ranged between April 25 and May 18. All patients have recovered.

Based on product shelf life, fresh beef products produced on April 20 would no longer have been sold in grocery stores after May 11. Fresh beef produced before April 20 and would have been unavailable in stores even earlier. However, these products could be in consumers’ freezers and it is important that consumers look for and return these products if they find them.

The fresh and frozen ground beef products subject to recall were produced between April 6 and April 20 and were shipped to retail stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact company Customer Service Representative James Turner at (800) 325-4164. Media with questions about the recall should contact company Vice-President for Sales and Marketing Brian Levy at (323) 588-5286.

In addition to specific products bearing labels from the manufacturer, some fresh ground beef, from 73 percent lean to 96 percent lean, was shipped in bulk and sold under different retail brand names. Several types of fresh ground beef patties, from 6.25 ounces to 7.25 ounces, were also shipped to retailers and sold under retail brand names. Consumers in the states of distribution should check with their local retailers to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall that were marketed in this way.

The labels of the products subject to recall bear the establishment number "EST. 1241" inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the package. All of the products bear a use-by/sell-by date between "APR/15/07" and "May/07/07," a freeze-by date between "APR/23/07" and "May/07/07," or a production date between "APR/06/07" and "APR/20/07." The Kroger frozen ground beef patty products bear a sell-by date between "8/06/07" and "8/20/07." The Stater Bros. branded frozen ground beef patty products bear a sell-by date between "04/06/08" and "04/20/08." All other frozen ground beef patty products bear a sell-by date between "01/06/08" and "01/20/08." [View Labels, PDF Only]

The following FROZEN ground beef products are subject to recall:

3-pound frozen chubs of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound frozen chubs of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 80/20 ground beef.”
3- and 5-pound bags of “MORAN’S ALL NATURAL HAMBURGER PATTIES 73/27.”
3- and 10-pound bags of “MORAN’S ALL NATURAL HAMBURGER PATTIES 80/20.”
2.5-pound bags of “MORAN’S ALL NATURAL SIRLOIN PATTIES 90/10.”
2.5-pound bags of “MORAN’S ALL NATURAL HAMBURGER PATTIES 96/4.”
3-pound bags of “STATER BROS. 73/27 ground beef patties.”
3-pound bags of “BASHAS 73/27 ground beef patties.”
3- and 6-pound bags of “Kroger 73/27 ground beef patties.”
3- and 6-pound bags of “Kroger 80/20 ground beef patties.”
3-pound bags of “Kroger 85/15 ground beef patties.”
2.5-pound bags of “Kroger 85/15 ground sirloin patties.”
3-pound bags of “Kroger 93/7 ground beef patties.
10-pound boxes of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 70/30 ground beef patties.”
10-pound boxes of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 75/25 ground beef patties.”
5-pound boxes of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 80/20 ground beef patties.”

The following FRESH ground beef products are subject to recall:

1.4- and 3-pound trays of “MORAN’S 75/25 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S 80/20 ground beef.”
1.3-pound trays of ““MORAN’S All Natural HAMBURGER PATTIES 80/20.”
1.25-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground beef.”
3-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ‘chili grind’ ground beef.”
1-, 1.33- and 3-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural HAMBURGER PATTIES 85/15.”
1.25-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural 90/10 ground sirloin.”
1.25-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural SIRLOIN PATTIES 90/10.”
1.25-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural 93/7 ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “MORAN’S All Natural HAMBURGER PATTIES 96/4.”
3-pound chubs of “Miller’s 80/20 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “Miller’s 93/7 ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “Miller’s 96/4 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays of “Miller’s 93/7 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays of “Miller’s 85/15 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays of “Miller’s 85/15 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays “Miller’s 85/15 ‘chili grind’ ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “Miller’s 85/15 ground beef patties.”
1-pound chubs of “BASHAS 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “Inter-American Product 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “Inter-American Product 80/20 ground beef.”
1- and 3-pound chubs of “Inter-American Product 85/15 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “Inter-American Product 93/7 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 80/20 ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 80/20 ground beef patties.”
1.25-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 91/9 ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 95/5 ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 95/5 ground beef patties.”
1.25-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 96/4 ground beef.”
1-pound trays of “Trader Joe’s Butcher Shop 96/4 ground beef patties.”
3-pound trays of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 80/20 ground beef.”
3-pound trays of “FIRST STREET BUTCHER SHOP 80/20 ground beef patties.”
1.25- and 3-pound trays of “Fry’s 80/20 ground beef.”
1. 3-pound trays of “Fry’s 80/20 ground beef patties.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fry’s 85/15 ground Angus.”
1.3-pound trays of “Fry’s 85/15 ground Angus patties.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fry’s 93/7 ground beef.”
1.25-pound trays of “Steakhouse Choice 85/15 ground Angus.”
1.3-pound trays of “Steakhouse Choice 85/15 ground Angus patties.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Sirloin 85/15.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Round 85/15.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Beef 80/20.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Beef 91/9.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Beef 93/7.”
1.5-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Beef Patties 80/20.”
1.5-pound trays of “Fresh Ground Beef Patties 91/9.”
1.25-pound trays of “Fresh Angus Ground Beef 85/15.”
1. 5-pound trays of “Fresh Angus Ground Beef Patties 85/15.”

The following list is inclusive of products included in both the June 3 and June 6 recall actions:

5-pound chubs of “1ST STREET 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “BASHAS 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “SIR BASHA 90/10 ground beef.”
5-pound chubs of “INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCT 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 80/20 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 93/7 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “STATER BROS. MARKET 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “STATER BROS. MARKETS 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 73/27 ground beef.”
5-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 73/27 ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural, 73/27 fine ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 73/27 coarse ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 75/25 fine ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 80/20 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 80/20 ground chuck.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 80/20 coarse ground chuck.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 80/20 fine ground chuck.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 81/19 fine ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 85/15 coarse ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 85/15 fine ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground round.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 coarse ground round.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 coarse ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 fine ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 90/10 fine ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 90/10 ground sirloin.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 90/10 coarse ground sirloin.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 93/7 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 93/7 fine ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 93/7 coarse ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 93/7 fine ground sirloin.”
5-pound chubs of “MORAN’S 95/5 fine ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 fine ground beef.”
5-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 fine ground beef.”

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

www.fsis.usda.gov

Food Safety Questions? Ask Karen!
FSIS' automated response system can provide food safety information 24/7

Last Modified: June 14, 2007

USDA Recall Classifications
Class I	This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
Class II	This is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.
Class III	This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.


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