New Hampshire firm recalls ground beef for possible E.coli

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A New Hampshire food processor voluntarily recalled 210,000 pounds of ground beef products distributed in about a dozen states because it may carry a disease-causing bacteria, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Monday.

MESSAGE BOARD Food Safety     ALSO Sizzler says Milwaukee E. coli tied to outside source     E. COLI: Choose a link to learn more about the E. coli bacteria: What is it? Symptoms Associated foods Prevention Treatment People at risk Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention For more, launch our interactive guide to food poisoning.

The ground beef patties were produced by Jac Pac Foods and distributed to wholesalers and retail stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Iowa, Maine, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont and Bermuda.

The USDA said the problem was discovered during an investigation of illnesses reported in Vermont. "The product has not been definitively linked to the illnesses," the USDA said in a statement. "The investigation is continuing."

E. coli 0157:H7 is a potentially deadly pathogen that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration.

"I urge consumers who have purchased the suspect product not to eat it and return it to the place of purchase," said USDA official Margaret Glavin.

The products being recalled from stores are:

"Trader Joe's" ground beef patties with a sell by date of "061900"

"Stop & Shop" ground round with a manufacturing code beginning with "161"

"Fresh Made" ground beef sold by Shoplink.com with a manufacturing code beginning with "161"

All products bear the plant code "EST. 785" inside the USDA seal of inspection, the USDA said. The product being recalled from wholesalers involves 10 to 36 pound boxes of ground beef patties. The boxes bear the plant code "EST. 785" and the product code "0161."

Last week, an E.coli outbreak that sickened more than a dozen people and claimed a 3-year-old girl's life, was traced to a Sizzler steakhouse franchise in Milwaukee, now closed for investigation.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - E. coli information
FoodSafety.gov

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