April 23, 2007

US company recalls beef that may have caused illness

A Pennsylvania company is recalling 259,230 pounds of beef out of concern that it may have been tainted with the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria and responsible for "several illnesses," the US Department of Agriculture said Friday (Apr 20).

The Pennsylvania-based HFX Inc produced steak products for the Pennsylvania-based restaurant chain Hoss's Family Steak and Sea Restaurants, which were linked to the illnesses, the USDA said.

USDA said in a prepared statement: "Generally, steaks are not considered a high-risk source of E. coli O157: H7. However, the products subject to recall were injected with tenderizers and flavour-enhancing solutions, and that process may have transferred the bacteria from the surface to the inside of the product."

The E. coli O157:H7 "is a potentially deadly bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhoea and dehydration," USDA said.

The recall sparked a sharp response from US Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, who has long been an advocate of increasing food safety.

"This latest outbreak of E. coli in Pennsylvania is yet another reminder of our collapsing food safety system," DeLauro said in a statement released Friday.