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MINNESOTA FIRM RECALLS GROUND BEEF DUE TO POSSIBLE E. COLI CONTAMINATION
Rochester Meat Company of Minnesota is voluntarily recalling approximately 188,000 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, warned West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.
The problem was discovered through an investigation initiated by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and the California Department of Public Health after five illnesses in Wisconsin and one illness in California. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
The ground beef products subject to recall were produced on October 30, 2007, and November 6, 2007. The products subject to recall were shipped to distributors nationwide for further distribution to restaurants and food service institutions. These products were not available for purchase by consumers in retail establishments.
The following products are subject to recall:
- 10-pound boxes of "SEASONED BEEF BULK" bearing a product number of "09068," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "730314."
- 10-pound boxes of "100% PURE BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "09071," as well as an eight-digit a lot number beginning with "731013."
- 15-pound boxes of "CHEYENNE SEASONED BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "12017" or "12018," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "730314."
- 10-, 15- and 20-pound boxes of "100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "1340," "127533," "135724," "158843" or "158852," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "731013" or "731014."
- 10-pound boxes of "100% PURE GROUND CHUCK BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "158898," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "731014."
- 10-, 15- and 25-pound boxes of "100% PURE GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES" bearing a product number of "85227," "227806," "407823," "407830," "407840," "417841" or "437531," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "730314," "731013," or "731014."
- 10-pound boxes of "OUR HOMESTYLE 100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "208033," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "731014."
- 15-pound boxes of "SEASONED BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "357835," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "730314."
- 15- and 15.3-pound boxes of "USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER 100% PURE GROUND BEEF PATTIES" bearing a product number of "437507" or "437521," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "730314," "731013," or "731014."
- 15-pound boxes of "USDA CHOICE OR HIGHER GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES" bearing a product number of "437822," as well as an eight-digit lot number beginning with "731014."
Each box bears the establishment number "Est. 8999" inside the USDA mark of inspection. Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact company Quality Assurance Manager Michelle Risius at 507-529-4759.
For information about meat and poultry inspection programs in West Virginia, visit www.wvagriculture.org, or telephone 304-558-3708.
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 food-borne illness.
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.
Although the recalled products are not available for retail sale, consumers preparing ground beef products should heed the following advice:
Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water. Immediately clean spills.
Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
Consumers should only eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160°F. Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria.
Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase or one hour if temperatures exceed 90°F. Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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