April 23, 2007

E. coli found in California beef

Beef sold by Richwood Meat Co., in Merced, California has been found to be tainted with the E. coli bacteria and consumers were warned to dispose the beef products should they have bought them.

The contamination was found in ground beef Richwood made in April and May 2006, according to the state Department of Health Services.

The contaminated meat, which was sold as both frozen patties and in bulk, has afflicted three people in Napa County after consuming the meat, said Department of Health Services spokesman Mike Bowman.

The meat was sold at retail stores and was also distributed to institutional food services, food distributors and discount stores.

Richwood will also recall 100,000 pounds of the meat distributed in California, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The Department of Health Services will conduct an inspection of Richwood's plant.

E. coli symptoms include abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, sometimes bloody diarrhoea, and children and older people are particularly susceptible to E. coli infections, said the health department.

The department also advised cooking meat thoroughly will prevent E. coli infections.

In 2004 Richwood issued a recall for 90,000 pounds of E. coli-tainted beef that was shipped to Japan.