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Nebraska Firm Expands Recall of Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination
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| Recall Release |
CLASS I RECALL |
| FSIS-RC-022-2008 |
HEALTH RISK: HIGH |
Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Amanda Eamich
| Clarification: This recall affects only certain products produced at
the Nebraska Beef Ltd. company, located in Omaha. It does not relate, implicate, or otherwise affect beef in
the State of Nebraska. Please note this important distinction.
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WASHINGTON, July 3, 2008 - Nebraska Beef, Ltd., an Omaha, Neb., establishment is expanding its
June 30 recall to include all beef manufacturing trimmings and other products intended for use in raw ground beef
produced between May 16 and June 26, totaling approximately 5.3 million pounds, that may be contaminated with
E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
This recall is being expanded based on the ongoing epidemiological and traceback investigations of a foodborne
illness outbreak.
FSIS has concluded that the production practices employed by Nebraska Beef, Ltd. are insufficient to effectively
control E. coli O157:H7 in their beef products that are intended for grinding. The products subject to
recall may have been produced under insanitary conditions.
The products subject to recall were further processed into ground beef at other firms, and will likely not bear
the establishment number "EST 19336" on products made available for direct consumer purchase.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, and only consume ground beef or ground beef
patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160º F. The only way to be sure ground beef is
cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a thermometer to measure the internal
temperature.
Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company's Vice President of Administration James
Timmerman at (402) 733-0456. Media with questions about the recall should contact company representative William
Lamson at (402) 397-7300.
The epidemiological investigations and a case control study conducted by the Michigan and Ohio Departments of
Agriculture and Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that there is an association
between the ground beef products and 40 illnesses reported in Michigan (21) and Ohio (19). The illnesses were
linked through the epidemiological investigation and by their PFGE pattern, or DNA fingerprint, found in PulseNet,
a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Also as a result of the investigation, on June 25 FSIS announced a recall of ground beef products sold at Kroger
retail establishments in Michigan and in Central and Northwestern Ohio.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in
the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most
susceptible to foodborne illness. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a medical
professional.
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.
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Last Modified:
July 3, 2008 |
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USDA Recall Classifications
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| 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.
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| Class II |
This is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.
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| Class III |
This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.
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