WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2002—EMMPAK Foods Inc., doing business as Peck Meats,
a Milwaukee, Wis., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately
416,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products that may be
contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The following ground beef products were
distributed to hotels, restaurants and other institutions nationwide.
- 20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL
USE, 5829940."
- 20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL
USE, 7222201."
- 20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL
USE, 1003516."
- 20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL
USE, 1077643."
All of the products listed above include the
establishment code "EST. 20654" inside the USDA seal of inspection.
The following products were distributed to retail
stores in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Each of the products
was produced between August 20 and August 24. The following products have
"SELL BY" dates of "8-29-02," "8-30-02," "8-31-02," "9-1-02" or "9-2-02."
The products subject to recall are one-to-five pound packages of:
- "READY TO GRILL, GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES, THICK, 1/3 LB, PATTIES."
The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF
CHUCK PATTIES, CONTAINS 20% FAT."
- "GROUND CHUCK, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT." The following bar coded
label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF CHUCK, CONTAINS 20%
FAT."
- "LEAN GROUND BEEF, 100% BEEF, 92% LEAN, 8% FAT." The following bar
coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 8%
FAT."
- "GROUND BEEF, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 27% FAT." The following bar coded
label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 27% FAT."
- "GROUND ROUND, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 15% FAT." The following bar coded
label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF ROUND, CONTAINS 15%
FAT."
- "EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF, 100% BEEF, 96% LEAN, 4% FAT." The following
bar coded label is also applied to the package: "LEAN GROUND BEEF,
CONTAINS 4% FAT."
- "GROUND CHUCK PATTIES, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT." The following bar
coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES,
CONTAINS 20% FAT."
- "GROUND ROUND PATTIES, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 15% FAT." The following bar
coded label also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF ROUND PATTIES,
CONTAINS 15% FAT."
- 5-pound bags of "Our Own KITCHEN, 20 QUARTER POUND, 100% PURE, BEEF
PATTIES."
- "SUPER TRU BRAND MEAT, PRESTIGE GENUINE GROUND BEEF."
All of the products listed above include the
establishment code "EST. 20654" inside the USDA seal of inspection.
Public health officials from FSIS and the state
Minnesota identified foodborne illness associated with the outbreak in
Minnesota. FSIS’ investigation of illnesses in other states is underway.
Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
"Consumers need to know that consumption of this
product has caused food-related illness," said Dr. Garry L. McKee, FSIS
administrator. "I strongly encourage purchasers of ground beef to check
their refrigerators and freezers for the recalled product. If consumers are
in possession of the recalled product they should return it to the point of
purchase."
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.
Media with questions about the recall may contact
Mark Klein, director of communications for EMMPAK, at (414) 978-6666.
Consumers with questions about the recall may
contact the EMMPAK Consumer Hotline at (877) 817-7622.
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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NOTE: Access news releases and other information at the FSIS Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov |
PREPARING GROUND BEEF FOR SAFE CONSUMPTION
Although the product being recalled
should be returned to the place of purchase, consumers preparing other ground beef
products should heed the following advice.
Consumers should only eat ground beef
patties that have been cooked to a safe temperature of 160 ºF. When a ground beef patty
is cooked to 160 ºF throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color.
The only way to be sure a ground beef patty
is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use an accurate
digital instant-read thermometer.
Color is not a reliable indicator that
ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria
such as E. coli O157:H7.
Eating a pink or red ground beef patty
without first verifying that the safe temperature of 160 ºF has been reached is a
significant risk factor for foodborne illness.
Thermometer use to ensure proper cooking
temperature is especially important for those who cook or serve ground beef patties to
people most at risk for foodborne illness because E. coli O157:H7 can lead to
serious illness or even death. Those most at risk include young children, the elderly, and
those with compromised immune systems. |