E. Coli Beef Recall Alert: 4 Questions Answered

(Aug. 30) -- Just in time for Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that a Pennsylvania meat company is recalling 8,500 pounds of ground beef products, due to concerns about E. coli 026.

What, exactly, is being recalled?
Ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions of Wyalusing, Pa., with a "use/freeze by" date of July 1, 2010. The stock of 42-pound cases was distributed to various locations in eight states along the East Cost:

• Connecticut
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New York
• New Jersey
• Virginia

The recalled beef is numbered "W69032." The beef was sold to distribution facilities in Connecticut and Maryland before being repackaged and sold to consumers under the "BJ's Wholesale Club" retailer name. Here's what one of the tags on the infected products looks like:


Why is it being recalled?
As of Aug. 28, three cases of E. coli infection had been identified, two occurring in Maine and one in New York, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FSIS identified an association between the ground beef products subject to recall and the three cases of illness.

What are the symptoms of E. coli poisoning?
E. coli infections can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in extraordinary cases, kidney failure. Individuals with weak immune systems, such as infants and the elderly, are most susceptible to the illness.

What does the USDA advise?
Authorities are concerned that buyers' contaminated beef may still be in freezers at retail outlets, grocery stores and homes.

The USDA advises that consumers immediately check their freezers and dispose of any contaminated products subject to the recall. For more information, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHOTLINE, or visit www.fsis.usda.gov.


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