Health Law

E. coli Outbreak Prompts Million Pound Beef Recall

By Drew Falkenstein

A small cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses detected by the California Department of Public Health has prompted Valley Meat Company, from Modesto CA, to recall one million pounds of frozen ground beef products..

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service learned of the problem on July 15 when CDPH reported the E. coli O157:H7 cluster of illnesses, all of whom had a rare strain as determined by PFGE subtyping. A total of six patients with illness onset dates between April 8 and June 18, 2010 were reported. After further review, CDPH added another patient from February to the case count, bringing the count to seven. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDPH and the company on the investigation. 

The long list of products subject to the recall can be found here, on the FSIS website. In its recall statement, FSIS expresses concern that ground beef products subject to the recall may still be in consumers homes because the products are frozen. 

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on August 06, 2010 (boomark / email).