September 3, 2007

E. coli could be tainting beef in Alaska supermarkets

Ground beef sold in Alaska could be tainted with E. coli, a potentially deadly microbe, state and federal officials said Friday (August 31).

Eight cases have been already been confirmed in Oregon and Washington and one suspected case is being investigated in Alaska, according to the state Departments of Environmental Conservation and Health and Social Services.

The health advisory, prompted by an alert from the US Department of Agriculture, covers 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 7 percent fat Natural Ground Beef" and 16-ounce packages of "Northwest Finest 10 percent fat Organic Ground Beef."

The grocery chain Fred Meyer verified its Alaska stores carried the organic ground beef.

The contaminated meats had a sell-by date of between August 1 and August 11 and should no longer be in stores.

Store supervisors for Carrs Safeway, the dominant supermarket chain in Anchorage, said they didn't believe Carrs carried the ground beef items in question and said no shopper advisories had been posted.

The USDA said 41,305 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef products came from Interstate Meat Dist. Inc. of Clackamas, Oregon.