WASHINGTON,
Aug. 8, 2000--IBP, Inc., is voluntarily recalling approximately 73,800
pounds of ground beef and ground beef chuck distributed in the United
States from Lakeside Packers, an IBP subsidiary located in Brooks,
Alberta, Canada. The product may be contaminated with E. coli
O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection
Service announced today.
All ground beef and ground
beef chuck being recalled in the United States is packed in 10 pound chubs
with eight chubs per shipping case. Each shipping case bears the code "Pack
Date 19JUL2000" and "EST. 38" on the end panel. The chubs under recall are
marked with a code of 003800201, followed by five other characters.
The imported ground beef and
ground beef chuck was produced on July 19 in Canada and sent to
distributors and wholesalers in Illinois, Washington, Florida, and Kansas.
Consumers may wish to ask at
the location where they buy ground beef and ground beef chuck if the
establishment received any of the recalled product.
"Because
of the potential hazard of foodborne illness, we want consumers to be
aware of the recall, "said Thomas Billy, FSIS administrator. "This is an
opportunity to remind consumers to always follow the safe handling
instructions required on all raw meat and poultry products and cook ground
beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F."
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 questions
about the recall may contact Dean Danilson at 1-888-299-5529. Media with
questions may contact Gary Mickelson at the same number.
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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