Posted on April 21, 2007
E. coli and little league baseball should not mix. I can not imagine why a system seems to use kids as guniea pigs to figure out when an E. coli outbreak is happening. It will be interesting to see if Richwood Meat tested for E. coli prior to it being shipped to customers in at least five States.
Little Leaguers sickened; Richwood Meat recalls 100,000 pounds of beef
More than 100,000 pounds of frozen ground beef patties processed by a Merced company were recalled after three Little League teammates fell ill with E. coli from tainted hamburgers, officials said Friday. Richwood Meat Co. issued a voluntary recall of the year-old frozen beef, which was produced in late April and early May 2006. The Merced plant distributes meat in California, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
I got the following email from John Munsell, USDA critic and very smart guy:
Overnight, I see that FSIS has issued yet another recall notice # 20-2007 (read at the end of the article), covering the recall of over 107,000 lbs of ground beef for potential E.coli contamination (see Attachment). I hope this doesn't presage a banner year for E.coli recalls. It's not even May yet, and we've just had two sizeable recalls announced in one day.
You may know that Richwood Meat Co also conducted a voluntary recall of 90,000 lbs of ground beef for E.coli contamination on February 24, 2004 (Recall # 7-2004). FYI, I contacted Richwood Meat Co on February 26, 2004 and had a long visit with them. The most interesting portion of my notes of that conversation is the statement "They said that USDA has so far shown no desire whatsoever to trace back the contaminant to the source of contamination".
It will be interesting to watch FSIS' actions during this current recall to see if the agency's attitude has changed in the last three years.
Perhaps 2007 will be the year during which these large, victimized further processing plants will stand up for their rights, and demand that public health imperatives are best served by the agency going upstream to the true origin of contamination. The ability of Richwood and other large non-slaughter grinding establishments to fully remove (or even detect) pathogens from previously contaminated meat is limited. If FSIS continues to focus 100 % of its enforcement actions against these hapless downline plants, we simply must concede the fact that multiple recurrences of production of E.coli-contaminated meat will occur because the sloppy kill floor dressing procedures are not being corrected, with tacit agency approval under HACCP's deregulated unmbrella.
The agency currently has two golden opportunities to identify the true source of contamination, rather than to be content with hagriding the destination of contamination. If FSIS breaks from past tradition, and successfully forces the source to implement corrective action, it will gain countless admirers.
John Munsell
The following is the recall notification and advisory from the USDA, cited from the USDA web site.
CALIFORNIA
FIRM RECALLS GROUND BEEF FOR POSSIBLE E. COLI O157:H7 CONTAMINATION
WASHINGTON, April 20, 2007
Richwood Meat Co, Inc., a
Merced,
Calif., establishment, is
voluntarily recalling approximately 107,943 pounds of frozen ground beef
products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The problem was discovered through sampling done by the California Department
of Health Services in the course of an investigation.
The ground beef was produced on April 28, 2006 and was sent
to retail outlets in
Arizona,
California,
Idaho,
Oregon and
Washington.
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 Vice-President
Steve Wood at (209) 722-8171, ext. 14. Media with questions about the recall
should contact company President Mike Wood at (209) 722-8171, ext. 35.
The labels of the products subject to recall bear the
establishment number "EST. 8264 inside the USDA mark of inspection. Only
products with a date code of 118-6 or 4/28/06 are subject to recall. Those
products include:
· 10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 1570985."
· 10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC BEEF/SIRLOIN
& BEEF, 80/20, Code: 3091816."
· 10-pound boxes of "RITZFOODSERVICE PURE BEEF PATTIES,
80/20, Code: 7720."
· 10-pound boxes of "CHEF'S PRIDE PURE BEEF PATTIES,
80/20, Code: 7197."
10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER PURE BEEF PATTIES, 75/25,
Code: 1514595."
· 10-pound boxes of "BLACKWOOD FARM GROUND BEEF 80/20,
Code: 7782."
· 10-pound boxes of "RITZFOODSERVICE GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 7711."
· 10-pound boxes of "CALIFORNIA PACIFIC ASSOCIATES
GROUND BEEF PATTIES 80/20, Code: 4115."
· 10-pound boxes of "CHEF'S PRIDE GROUND BEEF PATTIES,
80/20, Code: 7161."
· 10-pound boxes of "C&C DISTRIBUTING GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, Code: 7123."
· 10-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 7171."
· 10-pound boxes of "GOLBON GROUND BEEF PATTIES, Code:
7293."
· 10-pound boxes of "CHEF'S PRIDE GROUND BEEF PATTIES,
80/20, Code: 7163."
· 10-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD GROUND BEEF PATTIES,
80/20, Code: 7173."
· 20-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 1494426."
· 10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER BEEF PATTIES, 80/20,
Code: 1120039."
· 10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER BEEF PATTIES, Code:
3059227."
· 10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 1120229."
· 10-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY BEEF PATTIES,
Code: 4506."
· 12-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code 4078."
· 12-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code 4082."
· 18-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 9064890."
· 18-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 9064890."
· 18-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 9064536."
· 14-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, Code: 4079" --MORE--
--3—
· 2.66-pound bags of "RICHWOOD MEAT BEEF SIRLOIN &
BEEF PATTIES, Code: 4094."
· 3-pound packs of "RICHWOOD MEAT PURE BEEF PATTIES,
Code: 4098."
· 5-pound packs of "RICHWOOD BEEF PATTIES, Code:
4170."
· 18-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY GROUND BEEF PATTIES,
80/20, Code 4048."
· 18-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 9064676."
· 18-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY PURE BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 4047."
· 18-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 4081."
· 13.33-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY PURE BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 4077."
· 20-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
BULK, 80/20, Code: 2011062."
· 10-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
BULK, 80/20, Code: 1120245"
· 20-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
BULK, 80/20, Code: 6378772"
· 20-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC GROUND BEEF
BULK, 85/15, Code: 7709090"
· 10-pound boxes of "RITZFOODSERVICE GROUND BEEF
PATTIES, 80/20, Code: 4731."
· 10-pound boxes of "CHEF'S PRIDE GROUND BEEF, 80/20,
Code: 4169."
· 20-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY PURE GROUND
BEEF, 80/20, Code: 4240."
· 48-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY PURE BEEF
BULK, 80/20, Code: 4187."
· 20-pound boxes of "RICHWOOD MEAT COMPANY BEEF PATTY
BULK, Code: 4686."
· 20-pound boxes of "FIRERIVER CLASSIC BEEF PATTY BULK,
Code: 1002575" 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.
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 ºF. When a ground beef patty is cooked to 160
ºF 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 ºF 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.
