WASHINGTON – Beef Packers, Inc., a Fresno, Calif., establishment, is
recalling approximately 22,723 pounds of ground beef products that may be linked
to an outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The products subject to recall include: [View
Label, PDF Only]
60 pound cases of “GRD Beef Fine 93/07 10/60.” Each case bears the identifying
case code W69363 with Use/Freeze by dates of 10/11/09.
The ground beef products were produced on September 23, 2009 and bear the
establishment number “EST. 31913” printed on the case code labels. The ground
beef products were distributed to a retail distribution center in Arizona.
Because these products were repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold
under different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local
retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products
subject to recall.
As a result of an ongoing investigation into illnesses from Salmonella Newport
associated with ground beef products, the Arizona Department of Health Services
(ADHS) notified FSIS of the situation. Epidemiological and traceback
investigations conducted by FSIS and ADHS determined that there is an
association between the fresh ground beef products and two (2) illnesses
reported in Arizona. The Salmonella Newport strain was isolated both from the
patients and from ground beef produced by Est. 31913. They were also linked by
their uncommon pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern found in PulseNet,
a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories
coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company’s Consumer
Line at (877) 435-4071. Media with questions should contact company Director of
Communications Mark Klein (952) 742-6211.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of
the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be
life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants,
the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most
common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever
within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea
and vomiting that can last up to seven days.
This particular strain of Salmonella Newport is resistant to many commonly
prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible
treatment failure in infected individuals.
FSIS would like to remind consumers of the importance of following food safety
guidelines when handling and preparing raw meat. All consumers should safely
prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume
ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a temperature of
160 F. The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough
temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer to measure the
internal temperature.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual
representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat
and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and
Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through
Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
Source:
USDA FSIS