May 18, 2007

Michigan meat firm recalls 129,000 pounds of beef

A possible E. coli contamination has forced a meat company in Michigan to withdraw its 129,000 pounds of beef products, the US Department of Agriculture said.

Davis Creek Meats and Seafood produced the meats for Gordon Food Service Stores in Kalamazoo City and which were also distributed to centres and retailers in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The beef products were made between March 1 and April 30 and include boxes of mechanically tenderized steaks and ground beef of different weights. The boxes are labelled "Est. 1947A".

The Michigan health department discovered the problem as part of an E. coli illness investigation.

Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps that may be severe and diarrhoea that may turn bloody within one to three days. E. coli sometimes can lead to complications including kidney failure.