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Another E-Coli Recall

PORKER said:
As this thread started out on another meat recall, I say we have made some great progress on Grassfed Beef information .

I see what we do as the alternative to recalls...."craftsmanship, uniqueness and branding"! :D And the consumer recognizes that...most of my customers wouldn't be eating beef or very little beef if they weren't buying from me.
 
I'll be at the Graziers Money conference in Jackson put on by Stockman Grass Farmer the end of November.

You are right about the stress with the antibiotics. I eliminated my pinkeye problem this year by vaccinating for it, having a flawless mineraly program, fly tags, and Vigilante bolus'. After some study with Vigilante (a slow released IGR) and IGR in mineral, I found that it does not leave the digestive system, therefore not having any influence on the meat. I didn't have to call my Vet all year for anything. The other important thing I did was eliminated the "wagon wheel" method of rotational grazing from a single source of water and made a grid system with a waterline and quick couplings down the fenceline.
 
Bet this Cargill beef wasn't grass fed;

The Knox County Health Department has now positively linked three E. coli infections with a beef recall earlier this month.

The ground beef was sold in frozen patties at Sam's Club and was made by Cargill Meat Solutions. It was also distributed to some restaurants and foodservice institutions.

If you have purchased American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties, check to be sure it does not fall under the case code of "7703100."

Below is a more complete description of that product.

6-pound boxes of "American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties 18-1/3 Pound Patties." Each package bears a case code of "7703100" and various package codes of Best If Used By dates of "02/05/08," "02/06/08," "02/12/08," and "02/13/08."

An additional case of E. coli in Cocke County has been determined to be unrelated and is considered by health officials to be a sporadic case.

The three victims in Knox County became infected with E. coli O157 from eating contaminated beef. The Centers for Disease Control has dubbed this specific strain as outbreak # 0710NYEXH-1c. Analysis showed it to be a distinct infection from a cluster in a Indiana school under the same outbreak number.

Previous: As health officials investigate E. coli cases, more recalls issued

As Knox County Health Department officials work to identify the cause of three linked E. coli infections, still more ground beef recalls have been issued over the weekend.

Earlier this month, Cargill Meat Solutions and Topps Meat Company announced recalls. The Cargill ground beef was sold nationwide in Sam's Club stores.

Now, an Illinois company is recalling more than 86 tons of ground beef, some apparently sold in Sam's Club stores, over an E. coli concern. J & B Meats is recalling Topps Premium Pure Sirloin Beef Sirloin Steak Burgers, Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers 32 Quarter Pounders, Sam's Choice Backyard Gourmet Beef Burgers 80/20 12 Quarter Pound Round Patties, and Topps 100% Pure Ground Beef Hamburgers 12 Quarter Pounders.

You can recognize the packages by the establishment number, Est. 5712. If you suspect you have purchased recalled ground beef, you can call the company's recall hotline at (888) 734-0451.

A Georgia company, Arko Veal has also recalled ground beef patties, but the USDA reports those patties were distributed only to restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Previous: Health officials confirm three cases of E. coli linked

Knox County Health Department officials say they have conclusively linked three pediatric cases of E.coli to one another.

Four East Tennessee children have been hospitalized with the potentially life threatening bacterial infection in the past two weeks. One has died.

Officials now say three of those four cases, including a teenager and one set of young siblings, are attributable to the same strain, although officials have not yet identified the source of the infection.

Stay with WBIR and WBIR.com for more details on this developing story.
 
Georgia Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination



Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-046-2007 HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Laura Reiser

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2007 - Arko Veal Co., a Forest Park, Ga., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 1,900 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

Preparing Ground Beef For Safe Consumption

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHOTLINE or visit www.fsis.usda.gov

Although the product(s) being recalled should be returned to the point of purchase, consumers preparing other ground beef products should heed the following advice.

Consumers should only eat ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe temperature of 160 °F. When a ground beef patty is cooked to 160 °F throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color.

The only way to be sure a ground beef patty is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use an accurate food thermometer.

Color is not a reliable indicator that ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.

Eating a pink or red ground beef patty without first verifying that the safe temperature of 160 °F has been reached is a significant risk factor for foodborne illness.

Thermometer use to ensure proper cooking temperature is especially important for those who cook or serve ground beef patties to people most at risk for foodborne illness because E. coli O157:H7 can lead to serious illness or even death. Those most at risk include young children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems.



The product subject to recall includes:
50-pound cases of "BEEF PATTIES MIX," "80/20." Each case bears the establishment number "Est. 20766" inside the USDA mark of inspection and a product code of "502250." Each case bears a production date of "07-Oct-07," "08-Oct-07" or "09-Oct-07."

The beef products were produced between Oct. 7 and Oct. 9, 2007, and were distributed to restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. There was no retail distribution of these products.

The problem was discovered through routine FSIS microbiological testing. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
 
Ben,

I haven't read the book but isn't it written by Sheslinger or something? Did they make a movie out of it?

One of the things my family does when we need some ground beef is that we will see a special on whole roasts, sirloins or something of that nature and have the butcher grind it for us. We usually have meat we had processed in the freezer so this would just be a supplement if we needed it between slaughtering a half steer or something.

I think this would reduce the likelihood of ecoli contamination and especially if we go ahead and pack it up for the freezer right away, we don't allow there to be any time for pathogens to grow in the ground meat. Pathogens growing in hamburger not being stored at the best temps is usually where you get into trouble with ground meat. I don't think you can always trust those stores to keep the ground beef at the temps that are required.

Personally I don't know how much ecoli it takes to make one sick but I would suspect the biggest hazard is from the ecoli growing in the meat medium after being ground.

I do know that our butcher has to clean the grinders before every grind and after. This may not have been the case at a big grinder with a continual process.

Pathogens can work in at least two ways, as I understand it. One is when you get a live pathogen in your body and it creates poisons as a by product and the other when the pathogen creates poisons in the meat and then you ingest the poisons.

Ecoli must have more problems with the former than the latter if when you cook the meat there is no problem.

Maybe someone who knows could say something about it.

I do know that we have ecoli in our gut but it is in the lower intestines where our bodies are adapted to be able to handle it. If you get it in the upper digestive system it has a chance to multiply and create the poisons.

I personally want meat that I don't have to cook so well that it is unpalatable. You are much safer cooking a whole piece of meat where the pathogens are usually on the outside and the outside is cooked pretty good. Thus, you can more safely eat a med. rare steak than a med. rare hamburger.

Having a thermometer on your meat every time you cook it to me is pretty impractical. You could mess up your hamburgers if you had to make sure you had a thermometer in the middle every time you cooked a patty. Having to have that kind of remedy sure wouldn't be good for increasing demand for beef.
 
I didn't read the book, I cheated and watched the movie. One thing I like about it is showing the corporate meat packers highering illegal immigrants and not willing to slow the line down.

I have a lot of faith in my butcher, I don't cook my burgers all the way through. After splitting the half and they spray it with a solution, I think it might be vinegar, someone help me out. Then when it's done aging it's cut up pretty quick, after grindnig it's immediately put into the freezer. There isn't a whole lot of time for growth. I do know that under HACCP, every degree above or below the threshold, bacteria multiplies at an exponential rate.

I tend to thaw my pre made patties in the microwave for 45-60 seconds just to split them apart, even with the paper they stick. They're being cooked basicly frozen which is safest. I don't do it for that reason, it's just that I don't plan ahead to thaw it out.
 
Ben H said:
After splitting the half and they spray it with a solution, I think it might be vinegar, someone help me out.

lactic acid

In my plant, beef has to stay below 50 degree F during processing. My inspector delayed grinding of a batch of trim because the meat temperature had gotten to 48 degrees F...it would have been over 50 degrees F after grinding. I wonder how many large plants would have been stopped for that reason? :???: :? :???:
 
RobertMac said:
Ben H said:
After splitting the half and they spray it with a solution, I think it might be vinegar, someone help me out.

lactic acid

In my plant, beef has to stay below 50 degree F during processing. My inspector delayed grinding of a batch of trim because the meat temperature had gotten to 48 degrees F...it would have been over 50 degrees F after grinding. I wonder how many large plants would have been stopped for that reason? :???: :? :???:

Big packers seem to want to bend the rules for themselves so they stay "efficient". They then want every consumer to have to use a thermometer to make sure their product is safe.

Again, what does that do to "demand"?
 
Tex said:
RobertMac said:
Ben H said:
After splitting the half and they spray it with a solution, I think it might be vinegar, someone help me out.

lactic acid

In my plant, beef has to stay below 50 degree F during processing. My inspector delayed grinding of a batch of trim because the meat temperature had gotten to 48 degrees F...it would have been over 50 degrees F after grinding. I wonder how many large plants would have been stopped for that reason? :???: :? :???:

Big packers seem to want to bend the rules for themselves so they stay "efficient". They then want every consumer to have to use a thermometer to make sure their product is safe.

Again, what does that do to "demand"?

It helps my "demand"...so I guess I should just shut up!!! :gag: :wink:
 
Bad News by Any Name ,O157:H7 Ecoli is getting harder to kill

"To me, the 'E' in E. coli stands for 'evil'," says Nancy Donley. In 1993 in Chicago, her 6-year-old son, Alex, was so ravaged by O157:H7 poisoning from contaminated hamburger meat that when he died, only his corneas were fit for organ donation.

To biologists, the E. stands for Escherichia. E. coli is a species of intestinal bacilli named after German physician Theodor Escherich. The "coli" signals that it's "of the colon." It's not clear what most E. coli bacteria do, just that warm-blooded animals have them. They might serve in vitamin synthesis.

It is E. coli's ability to gene-swap that might have given rise to a rogue subclass including O157:H7. Members of this group are able to emit a toxin typical not of E. coli but of shigella, the agent that causes dysentery.

In their quick evolution, E. coli bacteria appear to be getting tougher. At Cornell University, U.S. Department of Agriculture microbiologist James Russell has shown that many E. coli , including O157:H7, are gaining the ability to survive the acid of the gastric juices in our stomachs. This resilience appears to be caused by the way we have fattened cattle since World War II.

"Grain feeding has created a variety of problems for the animal and for the environment," says Russell, who finds that a shift back to a traditional hay diet causes the amount of acid-resistant E. coli in cattle manure to drop dramatically.

Once E. coli O157:H7 is out in the environment, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable. Donley thinks that she may have had, but shaken off, the same bug that killed her son. The first symptom is bloody diarrhea. The second, potentially fatal complication is when the toxin begins to attack the kidneys and induces a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome. Victims, usually children or the elderly, require dialysis and can suffer strokes, brain damage and death.

The first recorded outbreak of O157:H7 poisoning among 26 customers of an Oregon branch of McDonald's in 1982 was caught precisely because of the violent symptoms. "The doctor who recognized it saw that these people all had this common syndrome of frank blood in their stools," says Mike Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia.

Doyle studied the outbreak. "No one died," he says. "There were no cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome. It was almost viewed as a freak event." However, within months, a second McDonald's outbreak in the Midwest had the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, in Atlanta convinced it was meat-borne.

By 1984, it was cropping up around the country and had thrown three children into kidney failure in a North Carolina daycare center and killed four in a Nebraska nursing home. By 1987, it had killed two in Walla Walla, Wash., and physicians there were required by law to report suspected poisoning cases. By the time of the Jack in the Box outbreak in January 1993, there had been 22 documented outbreaks across the country and in Canada. At least 35 people had died.

The evidence was also in as to where it was coming from: cattle manure. At slaughterhouses, the problems were gritty hides, then dealing with intestinal splatter during evisceration. Infected humans could then infect each other with hands that may have been washed after they changed a diaper, but still carried bacteria. Windfall apples carrying uncomposted manure could contaminate raw cider. And so on.

Patricia Griffin, a CDC epidemiologist, stalked the bug from the early days. Requests for grants to set up systems to watch out for the disease were repeatedly denied, she says: "There were very few resources for food safety."

By 1988, the USDA had assembled some experts from government, universities and industry and named them the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods. In 1992, it announced a "war on pathogens." But relations between the USDA and public health officials at the CDC were poor.

Griffin describes the differences as cultural. "Microbiologically safe food was never something that I'd seen the USDA make a priority," she says.

This was about to change. In 1992, Griffin got a phone call from an Alabama housewife named Mary Heersink. Heersink wanted to know if her son's near-fatal bout with hemolytic uremic syndrome had been associated with E. coli O157:H7. He had eaten some raw ground beef at a Boy Scout camp out, she said. Griffin guessed that it had been and encouraged Heersink to help raise public awareness about O157:H7.

Now its changing ,it takes a higher temperature to kill.
 
It is E. coli's ability to gene-swap that might have given rise to a rogue subclass including O157:H7. Members of this group are able to emit a toxin typical not of E. coli but of shigella, the agent that causes dysentery.

In their quick evolution, E. coli bacteria appear to be getting tougher. It takes MORE HEAT to KILL IT
 
PORKER said:
It is E. coli's ability to gene-swap that might have given rise to a rogue subclass including O157:H7. Members of this group are able to emit a toxin typical not of E. coli but of shigella, the agent that causes dysentery.

In their quick evolution, E. coli bacteria appear to be getting tougher. It takes MORE HEAT to KILL IT

You mean we are going to have to eat all meat well done?

My wife is even convinced a properly cooked steak with a little pink in the middle is better.

I sure don't want to eat a rubber steak in the future!!!!
 
E. coli O157:H7 Illnesses linked to General Mills Totino's Pizza in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/

Posted on November 1, 2007 by Food Poisoning Attorney
General Mills Operations, a Wellston, Ohio, establishment, is voluntarily recalling an undetermined amount of frozen meat pizza products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and may be linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

General Mills is the "sixth largest food company in the world" with revenues for 2007 estimated to be nearly $12,500,000,000. General Mills announced today that since July 1 of this year, it had distributed more than 120 million Totino's and Jeno's pizzas nationwide. Surprisingly, in light of 21-reported E. coli illnesses tied to these products, General Mills has only recalled 5 million of the 120 million pizzas produced. "General Mills should immediately expand the recall to all 120 million pizzas produced during the time-frame that people were sickened," said Bill Marler, the Seattle attorney who has dedicated his law practice to representing victims of E. coli outbreaks. According to the CDC, the earliest case was reported on July 20, and the latest was reported on October 10. The ten states reporting illness are, Illinois (1), Kentucky (3), Missouri (2), New York (2), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (8), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1).

Marler also called on General Mills to immediately pay medical costs for the victims of the E. coli outbreak. "Without assistance in the form of monetary compensation for medical expenses, many of the families with members who were hospitalized will face financial hardship in the coming months when the bills start coming in," said Marler. "General Mills should do the right thing and begin compensating victims of this outbreak for those most basic needs now," Marler added.

Marler noted that other companies like Dole, Odwalla, ConAgra and Jack in the Box willingly paid medical bills when their products were identified as the source of E. coli outbreaks. "General Mills knows it's going to pay those medical expenses in the end in the form of a settlement or jury verdict," Marler continued. "The question is, since they know their product was the cause of these illnesses, why wait?"

Several times a month Bill speaks to industry and government throughout the United States on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses.


The following products are subject to recall:

• 10.2-ounce packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza Pepperoni."
• 10.2-ounce packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Classic Pepperoni."
• 10.2-ounce packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Pepperoni Trio."
• 10.7-ounce packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Combination Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza."
• 10.5-ounce packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Three Meat Sausage, Canadian Style Bacon & Pepperoni Pizza."
• 10.9-ounce packages of "Totino's The Original Crisp Crust Party Pizza, Supreme Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza with Green Peppers & Onions."
• 6.8-ounce packages of "JENO'S CRISP `N TASTY PIZZA, PEPPERONI."
• 7.0-ounce packages of "JENO'S CRISP `N TASTY PIZZA, COMBINATION SAUSAGE AND PEPPERONI PIZZA."
7.2-ounce packages of "JENO'S CRISP `N TASTY PIZZA, SUPREME SAUSAGE AND PEPPERONI WITH GREEN PEPPERS AND ONION PIZZA." THAT WAS MY Favorite BUT NOT ANYMORE

Each package also bears the establishment number "EST. 7750" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a "best if used by" date on or before "02 APR 08 WS." The company applies the "best if used by date" on the package based on a 155-day shelf life, however consumers are urged to look in their freezers for similar frozen pizza products and discard them if found. The frozen meat pizza products subject to recall were produced on or before Oct. 30 and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide. The recall affects approximately 414,000 cases of pizza products currently in stores and all similar pizza products in consumers' freezers. It includes eight SKUs (stock keeping units or UPC codes) of Totino's brand frozen pizza and three SKUs of Jeno's brand frozen pizza with pepperoni topping, or incorporating pepperoni in combination with other toppings.

The potential problem was uncovered by state and federal authorities investigating 21 occurrences of E. coli-related illnesses in 10 states. Approximately half of the individuals who became ill were hospitalized as a result. The earliest case reported to state authorities occurred on July 20, and the latest case reported occurred on Oct. 10. Nine of the 21 people reported having eaten Totino's or Jeno's pizza with pepperoni topping at some point prior to becoming ill. Since July 1 of this year, Totino's and Jeno's have distributed more than 120 million pizzas nationwide.

The problem was discovered following an investigation carried out by the Tennessee Department of Health in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into a multi-state cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that may be linked to this product. Illnesses occurred in Illinois (1), Kentucky (3), Missouri (2), New York (2), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (, Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates ranged between July 20 and Oct. 10.
 
Company Recalls Tainted Beef

Saturday, November 3, 2007 10:01 AM




WASHINGTON -- The giant agribusiness company Cargill Inc. said Saturday it is recalling more than 1 million pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.


The ground beef was produced between Oct. 8 and Oct. 11 at Cargill Meat Solutions' plant in Wyalusing, Pa. and distributed to retailers across the country. They include Giant, Shop Rite, Stop & Shop, Wegmans and Weis.


Cargill learned the meat may be contaminated after the Agriculture Department found a problem with a sample of the beef produced on Oct. 8, the company said. The bacteria is E. coli 0157:H7.


"No illnesses have been associated with this product," said John Keating, president of Cargill Regional Beef, said in a statement. "We are working closely with the USDA to remove this product from the marketplace."

http://www.newsmax.com/us/beef_recall/2007/11/03/46408.html
 
Don't you just love this stupid statement;Cargill learned the meat may be contaminated after the Agriculture Department found a problem . Whoa what no testing, Cargill????????????????????????????????????
 

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