WASHINGTON, May 17,
2000--Eaves Food Incorporated, an Elberton, Ga., firm, is voluntarily
recalling approximately 28,860 pounds of 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 10, and distributed to grocery stores in Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The products subject to
recall are "BUBBA burger" brand 1/3 pound burgers in two-pound and
four-pound packages and "BUBBA burger" 1/3 pound burgers with Vidalia
onion in two-pound packages. All packages labeled with a nine-digit
code number beginning with "131" are being recalled. The package
labels also bear "EST.19292" inside the USDA seal of
inspection.
Consumers and media with
questions about the recall may contact Eric Eaves, Eaves Food, at
(706) 283-2763.
"Because of the potential
hazard of foodborne illness from consumption of underprocessed meat
products contaminated with pathogens such as the E. coli
O157:H7 bacteria, I urge consumers who have purchased the suspect
product not to eat it and return it to the place of purchase,"
said
Thomas J. Billy, FSIS administrator. "USDA is informing the public so
consumers who may have purchased and stored the product in their
freezers can know to check."
The problem was
discovered through routine FSIS microbiological sampling.
E. coli
O157:H7 is a potentially deadly pathogen 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 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.
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