Health Law

1,636,000 Pounds of Beef Recalled since November due to E. coli O157:H7

By Drew Falkenstein

The unfortunate trend for E. coli and beef in late 2009 and 2010 continues.  This evening, West MissourI Beef, LLC, a Rockville, Missouri beef company, recalled 14,000 pounds of boneless beef products due to potential E. coli O157:H7 contamination.  Today's recall brings the tally for recalled beef due to E. coli contamination to 1,636,000 pounds of beef products in the last three months. 

On January 18, 2010, the USDA's food inspection branch (FSIS) announced the recall of 846,000 pounds of ground beef products produced by a California company called Huntington Meat Packing, Inc., due to potential contamination by E. coli O157:H7.

On January 11, 2010, Adams Farm Slaughterhouse, LLC., an Athol, Mass., stablishment, recalled approximately 2,574 pounds of beef products due to potential E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The recall occurred in the wake of an epidemiological investigation into the E. coli illness of at least one Massachusetts resident.

In November 2009, ground beef from a New York ground beef company called Fairbank Farms was recalled due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. That outbreak caused resulted in 26 E. coli O157:H7 illnesses, nineteen hospitalizations, and five who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

And on Christmas Eve 2009, National Steak and Poultry recalled at least 124 tons of mechanically tenderized beef products. The National Steak and Poultry outbreak caused at least 21 E. coli O157:H7 illness in 16 states, including nine hospitalizations and one case of HUS.

Together, the recalls and outbreaks linked to beef from Adams Farm, National Steak and Poultry, Fairbank Farms, and now West Missouri Beef have caused at least 48 illnesses nationally. At least 1,636,000 pounds of beef have been recalled in total in the five recalls. .
 

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on February 03, 2010 (boomark / email).