WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2002—Wright City Meat
Company, Inc., a Wright City, Mo.,
establishment, is voluntarily recalling
approximately 510 pounds of frozen ground beef
patties 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 products subject to recall are
fourteen 35-pound boxes and one 20-pound box
of, "HAMBURGER PATTIE." The boxes are also
marked with the company name and address:
Wright City Meat Co., Inc., 363 E.N. Service
Rd., Wright City, MO., 63390. Each box also
bears the USDA establishment number, "EST.
8699" inside the USDA seal of inspection.
The
ground beef was produced on Aug. 28 and
distributed to a retail store in New Florence,
Mo., and a church in St. Paul, Mo., for use at
a church picnic.
"Because of the potential hazard of foodborne
illness from consumption of meat products
contaminated with harmful bacteria such as E.
coli O157:H7, consumers in these areas should
check to see if they have the recalled product
and return it to the point of purchase," said
Linda Swacina, Associate FSIS Administrator.
FSIS
has received no reports of illnesses
associated with consumption of this product.
Anyone concerned about an illness should
contact a physician.
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, seniors and
persons with compromised immune systems are
the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
Consumers and media with questions about the
recall may contact Michael Kreuger, company
manager, at (636) 745-3331.
Consumers with other food safety questions can
phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry
Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. 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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