WASHINGTON, May 28, 2001—Jewel-Osco, operating as Jewel Store #2777, a
retail store at 2777 South 6th St., Springfield, Ill., is
voluntarily recalling approximately 370 pounds of fresh ground beef that
may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The ground beef was produced on May 23 and
packaged in various sizes. Each package is marked
"Jewel Store # 2777" and "Sell By 05/24/01."
The ground beef products subject to recall are:
- "GROUND BEEF NOT LESS THAN 75% LN,"
- "GROUND CHUCK NOT LESS THAN 80% LN,"
- "GROUND ROUND NOT LESS THN 85% LN," and
- "GROUND SIRLOIN NOT LS THN 95% LN."
"Because of the potential hazard of
foodborne illness from consumption of meat products contaminated with
harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, I urge consumers who have
purchased the suspect product not to eat it and return it to the place of
purchase," said Thomas Billy, FSIS administrator. "FSIS is
informing the public so consumers who may have purchased and stored the
product in their refrigerators or freezers can know to check."
The problem was discovered through routine FSIS
microbiological sampling.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly
bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young,
the elderly, and persons with compromised immune systems are the most
susceptible to foodborne illness.
FSIS has received no reports of illnesses
associated with consumption of this product. Anyone concerned about an
illness should contact a physician.
Consumers with questions about the recall may
contact Jewel-Osco’s Customer Service Line at (800) 539-3561. Media with
questions may contact Karen Ramos, Director of Public Affairs, at (847)
916-4394.
Consumers with food safety questions can phone
the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline
can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through
Friday, and recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
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