WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2003—Excel
Corporation, a Dodge City, Kan., establishment, is voluntarily recalling
approximately 26,600 pounds of fresh ground beef products because of
misbranding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service announced today.
The product package labels state
that the ground beef has been irradiated for food safety, when in fact the
beef has not been treated with irradiation. Irradiation is an intervention
intended to further control pathogens in ground beef.
The following products are subject
to Safety Recalls,
1 pound packages of “IRRADIATED FOR
FOOD SAFETY GROUND BEEF 93/7, SUREBEAM.” The packages carry various use or
freeze by dates of Sept. 27 through Dec. 15.
1 pound packages of “IRRADIATED FOR
FOOD SAFETY GROUND ROUND BEEF 85/15, SUREBEAM.” The packages carry various
use or freeze by dates of Oct. 3 through Dec. 15.
The ground beef products were
produced on various dates between Sept. 2 and Nov. 20 and were distributed
to retail stores in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The problem was discovered by the
Excel Corporation.
FSIS has received no reports of
illnesses associated with consumption of this product. Anyone concerned
about an illness should contact a physician.
Media with questions about the
recall may contact company Director of Public Relations Mark Klein at
952-742-6211.
Consumers with questions about the
recall may contact company Customer Service Manager Luke Miller at
877-596-4069.
Consumers with other food safety
questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at
1-888-MPHOTLINE. The hotline is available in English and Spanish and can be
reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday.
Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
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