August 31, 2007

USDA alerts US beef consumers for E. coli  

The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for possible E. coli contamination on 41,305 pounds of ground beef products that produced from Interstate Meat District Inc., in Clackamas, Oregon.

The warning was given after epidemiological investigations by the State of Oregon Department of Health Services and the Washington State Department of Health discovered a possible link between the ground beef products and eight confirmed E. coli illnesses reported in Oregon and Washington.

The products subject to this public health alert include:

• 16-oz. packages of "Northwest Finest 7 percent FAT, NATURAL GROUND BEEF." The label bears a UPC code of "752907 600127."
   
• 16-oz. packages of "Northwest Finest 10% FAT, Organic GROUND BEEF."

Each package also bears the establishment number "Est. 965" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a sell-by date between "08/01/07" and "08/11/07."

The ground beef products were produced on dates between July 19 and July 30, 2007, and were distributed to retail establishments in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Based on product shelf life, these products should no longer have been sold in grocery stores after August 5. FSIS is therefore urging consumers who may have bought these meats to return these products to the stores or directly to its producers.