Personal Injury Law

14 Sick In Colorado As Denver-Based King Soopers Grocery Chain Recalls Nearly Half Million Pounds Of Ground Beef For Salmonella Contamination

By Marler Clark LLP

From the Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture:

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2009 - King Soopers, Inc., a Denver, Colo., establishment, is recalling approximately 466,236 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:

• 1-pound chubs of (93/7) ground beef. Each package bears the identifying case code "69558."
• 1 - 1.25-lb. tray packs of (96/4) ground beef. Each package bears the identifying case code "67164."
• 1 - 1.25-lb. tray packs of (96/4) ground beef. Each package bears the identifying case code "67664."
• 1 - 1.25-lb. tray packs of (93/7) ground beef. Each package bears the identifying case code "67663."
• 1 - 1.25-lb. tray packs of (93/7) ground beef. Each package bears the identifying case code "67163."
• 2.5 - 3-lb. tray packs of (93/7) ground beef. Each package bears the identifying case code "67654."
• 6-pack trays of (93/7) ground beef patties. Each package bears the identifying case code "67106."
• 4-pack trays of (93/7) ground beef patties. Each package bears the identifying case code "67115."

The ground beef chub products bear a use-by/sell-by date between "05/31/09" and "06/21/09;" the tray packs of ground beef bear a use-by/sell-by date between "06.02.09" and "06.23.09;" and the ground beef patty products bear a use-by/sell-by date between "06.01.09" and "06.22.09."

The ground beef products were produced on various dates ranging from May 23, 2009 through June 13, 2009 and bear the establishment number "EST. 6250" within the USDA Mark of Inspection, which is printed on the front of the packages. The ground beef products were distributed to retail establishments in Colo., Kan., Mo., Neb., N.M., Utah and Wyo.

FSIS has no reason to believe that these products are still available for sale in commerce. However, consumers that may have purchased these fresh ground beef products between May 23 and June 23, 2009, and have stored them in the freezer should look for and discard or destroy these products.

As a result of an ongoing investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 associated with ground beef products, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) notified FSIS of the problem.

Epidemiological investigations and a case control study conducted by CDPHE and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and 14 illnesses reported in Colorado. The illnesses were linked through the epidemiological investigation by their less common pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern found in PulseNet, a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by the CDC.

FSIS would like to remind consumers of the importance of following food safety guidelines when handling and preparing raw meat. Ground beef should be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit.

This particular strain of Salmonella, Salmonella Typhimurium DT104, is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall should contact the company Hotline at 1-800-632-6900; media inquiries should be directed to Meghan Glynn, Media Relations Coordinator, at (513) 762-1304.

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.

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.
 

Full post as published by Salmonella Blog on July 23, 2009 (boomark / email).