Health Law

FSIS and JBS Swift reveal partial distribution of E. coli Tainted Meat

By Marler Clark

More than a week after JBS Swift initiated a nationwide recall of E. coli-tainted meat, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and JBS Swift have taken the necessary steps of alerting consumers as to which retail outlets received the beef. After an initial recall of 41,280 pounds on June 24, JBS Swift expanded the recall to include an additional 380,000 pounds on June 28. Now the entire April 21 production run of beef primal from the JBS Swift Greeley, Colorado plant is being recalled. The retail outlets listed by FSIS and JBS Swift are:

• Price Chopper stores
• Hannaford stores in ME, NH, VT, MA, and NY
• Stop & Shop stores in ME, MA, RI, CT, NH, northern KY, Southeastern IN, western TN, and AR
• Kroger stores in MS and IL
• Food 4 Less stores in the Chicago area
• Fry's stores in AZ
• Smith's stores in AZ, UT, and other Western states
• Costco

The CDC announced on July 1 that 23 people in 9 states had been infected with the genetic fingerprint of E. coli O157:H7 associated with the outbreak. Twelve people were hospitalized and two suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of E. coli O157:H7 infection that can lead to kidney failure. Illnesses have been reported in the following states: California (4), Maine (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (1) and Wisconsin (6).

Consumers need to know that the meat they have in their homes may be contaminated with a deadly pathogen. Following is a list to date of individual store recalls that came out before the FSIS/JBS Swift release. Our hope is that you will help us spread the word.

• BJ's Wholesale Clubs in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island – beef cuts and vacuum-packed primal cuts
• Bloom and Food Lion Stores in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia – beef cuts and ground beef
• Costco – steaks, ribs, ground beef (PDF)
• Food 4 Less – ground beef, 15% (PDF)
• Fry's Food and Drug Stores – ground beef (PDF)
• Hannaford Bros. Co. – beef cuts and ground beef (PDF)
• Kroger – ground beef (PDF)
• Price Chopper – ground beef and beef loin bottom sirloin steaks
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc., including Pick 'n Save, Copps and Rainbow stores – beef cuts and fresh ground beef
• Smith's Food and Drug Stores – ground beef (PDF)
• Smith's Food and Drug Stores in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming – beef cuts and ground beef (PDF)
• Stop & Shop Supermarket Company – ground beef
• WinCo Foods, LLC Stores in Idaho and Oregon – boneless bottom round roast, steak, carne asada, ground beef

Additional Consumer Resources: List of Recalled JBS Swift Beef Products (PDF), Downloadable Family Health Guide on E. coli (PDF)

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on July 02, 2009 (boomark / email).