Another E-Coli Recall

[Mike]

Illinois firm recalls beef patties on E.coli scareOct 14, 2007

Share WASHINGTON (Reuters) - J&B Meats Corp. is recalling 173,554 pounds (78.7 tonnes) of frozen ground beef products sold under "Topps" and "Sam's Choice" labels due to possible E. coli contamination, the U.S. government said this weekend.

The Coal Valley, Illinois-based company produced the patties in June and distributed them to retail stores nationwide, the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, or FSIS, said in a statement.

Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc recalled about 844,812 pounds (383 tonnes) of frozen beef patties due to possible E. coli contamination earlier this month.

Symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 illness -- the strain associated with the recall -- include potentially severe stomach cramps and diarrhea.

The products subject to the latest recall include two-, three-, and eight-pound boxes of beef burgers.

FSIS said the potential problem was discovered after it received a complaint about illness. Consumers with questions should contact the company at 888-734-0451.

 

[PORKER]

Illinois Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products For Possible E. coli O157: H7
WASHINGTON, August 23, 2003—J&B Meats Corporation, a Coal Valley, Ill., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 76,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The products subject to recall each bear the date code "5630053" and establishment code "EST. 5712" inside the USDA seal of inspection. The products subject to recall are:

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN TENDER & JUICY BEEF PATTIES" bearing the code "11344."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "JB0104."

24.5-lb. cases of "KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "8218."

12-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "1140."

20-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF" bearing the code "8020."

20-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF" bearing the code "8020EC."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN BEEF STEAK BURGER" bearing the code "J1002."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN BEEF STEAK BURGER" bearing the code "J1003."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN BEEF STEAK BURGER" bearing the code "J1004."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN J-BURGER SEASONED BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "11372TF."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN J-BURGER SEASONED BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "11373TF."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN J-BURGER SEASONED BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "11374TF."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN BEEF PATTIE WHOPPER" bearing the code "11364AW."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "1136EC."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN GROUND BEEF PATTIES WHOPPER" bearing the code "JB0704W."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "11323."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN 100% PURE BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "11393."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN TENDER & JUICY BEEF PATTIES" bearing the code "11343."

12-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED HEART OF AMERICA CHUCK PATTIE GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIE" bearing the code "4002HA."

20-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF" bearing the code "8515."

12-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "1142."

12-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "1143."

12-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "1144."

12-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "1144R."

20-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN GROUND BEEF" bearing the code "8020ECF."

20-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN BEEF PATTIE MIX" bearing the code "8020PF."

40-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP REFRIGERATED GROUND BEEF COARSE GRIND" bearing the code "291101."

10-lb. cases of "J&B BRAND MEATS, CORP., KEEP FROZEN GROUND BEEF PATTIE" bearing the code "11384."

The products were produced on May 30 and distributed to wholesale establishments nationwide.

An E. coli O157:H7 illness in Wisconsin triggered an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Health. Sampling of a J&B Meats Corporation ground beef product was performed by the Wisconsin Department of Health and the positive E. coli O157:H7 results were reported to FSIS on Aug. 22. As a result, J&B Meats Corporation initiated a voluntary product recall. At present, there is no definitive link implicating the recalled products to any illnesses. However, FSIS is continuing its investigation. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall can contact Jeff Jobe, company president, at (309) 799-7341.

 

[Ben H]

http://www.eatwild.com/foodsafety.html

No meat has E-Coli if it's processed properly. But there is a huge different in cell count in the hindgut in grass vs grainfed animals due to the low pH of the Rumen in grainfed cattle decreasing the competition for E-Coli which thrives in an acidic environment.

There is less of a risk with Grass-fed, another knock against industrial ag.

 

[PORKER]

Grassfed beef has the highest value in healthy eating.

 

[Ben H]

as compared to conventional beef, other grassfed meats or everything?

 

[PORKER]

As compared to conventional beef ,the CLA is much higher in grassfed animals.

 

[Ben H]

also higher in Omega-3, making a much better 6:3 ratio. Lower in Saturated fat, higher in fat soluble vitamins. One of the things I like to say to customers is that ironicaly, the health benefits are in the FAT. Therefore it's important to properly finish these animals on grass, that's where the expertise and experience come in.

 

[PPRM]

also higher in Omega-3, making a much better 6:3 ratio. Lower in Saturated fat, higher in fat soluble vitamins. One of the things I like to say to customers is that ironicaly, the health benefits are in the FAT. Therefore it's important to properly finish these animals on grass, that's where the expertise and experience come in.

Ben, there truly is more expertise to make a good grass fat steer. I tip my that to those able to do it with all sincerity.....

I can do it, but don't for two reasons. First, i prefer a properly finished corn fed....So, I prefer to sell what I prefer to eat. I think a huge difference is I don't get mine as fat. If I don't ave acustomer, then I fedd another 40 days and most of that is "Bark" getting put on.....

The second reason is my understanding is the best grass fat requires good forage on the Come so to speak. That means to sell the best, I'd need to store a lot in freezers and I am just not there yet.....

Like I said, I realize there is an art to it and tip my hat to you guys that put "Craftsmanship" into it and just aren't selling "Scrubs" Roo many grassfat guys around me raise crap calves and that means the rest of you gt slandered or labeled the same,

PPRM

 

[PORKER]

Here in Northern Michigan ,the best Grassfed beef comes from well maintained pastures that have trefoil, timothy and smooth brome, a little wild alfalfa and red clover. I had some great aged grassfed Peidmontese-Murray Grey beef at a wedding the other night ,just awhsome with flavor and sooo tender. Talked to the producer of that great beef ,and all we did was talk about the right pasture mix that which breed or cross could do it time and again.

 

[Ben H]

I went to the Stockman Grassfarmers Gourmet Grassfed Beef Production School last winter, one of Allen's points I agree with is that there are people out there not properly finishing animals calling it grassfed and making an inferior product, this school was how to do it right. Prior to that school I raised a pair of steers on strictly grass against a pair fenceline fed a 5 gallon bucket of grain (Beef Finisher form Shur-Gain) twice a day. First of all let me say I grew up grain finishing my steers with the mindset that it makes a superior product and that what I produced was better then what I could get in the store. Last winter when I had the first T-Bones form the Grass only steer that I kept a side of, I was more then impressed. It had more flavor and it was tender. On top of that I started reading more and more about the health benefits. Since then I have eliminated the grain from my program.

I will say I have more to learn, I could have done a better job with the ones I killed today and the ones that will go next month, still have a little bit of time with those ones. We had poor rainfall here this summer compared to what we're used to. Last year on the Beef Magazing Stocker weekly email we had the most lush pasture condistions in the country all summer. This year wasn't something to brag about. There are things I can do to improve the situation and prepare, but that will come with experience and some mistakes.

 

[PPRM]

Ben,

You have Mail.....

Ok, the corn fed snob is coming out in me...LOL........5 pounds a day is corn teased, not corn fed, LOL......

Truly, I think there is room in the market for both..I get the same comments on flavor and tenderness with what I do. I also get the same comments as far as no gresae in my burger and it having a great smell to it as it cooks. The trick to not getting it too fat is to push the sileage corn and not the grai corn in my opinion.....

I am more interested in getting the end user to know the producer. Those are the passionate ends of this business...The rest may come down to personal taste and opinion....

I am sincere when i say the guys doing grassfat the right way have more obstacles than I. Hard to control the rain and without water, the grass doesn't work. i am a big believer in the effects of what goes in has on the end product. An example is pepperoni sticks and jerky..many people use really old cows, we use meat from our calves and that is only a part of it.....

Good luck and keep on posting, I am enjoying them,

PPRM

 

[PORKER]

I am more interested in getting the end user to know the producer. Those are the passionate ends of this business...

Only with ScoringAg traceback labels will the customer know the producer .

 

[PPRM]

I am more interested in getting the end user to know the producer. Those are the passionate ends of this business...

Only with ScoringAg traceback labels will the customer know the producer .

Not true, the consumer gets to know me as I am describing my product to them, as I package thier purchage and as they hand me thoer money.....


Soon, they will get to know me through my webpage.....

A face is worth a thousand Labels,

PPRM

 

[Ben H]

I agree there is something about knowing your customers. Selling only sides really limits you to people who have storage space for it. That's one thing I liked about the Farmers Market this summer, was seeing more people...and having them come back with positive comments. The other side of that is what I'm trying to accomplish, and that is grow, is structured on returning customers.

One thing I will give credit to corn feeding for, it is easier to be consistent. I used to bring our animals in our barn for the finishing stage to grain fatten, then the last two stayed on the pasture as I mentioned and were fence line fed, I think it was like 13-15 lbs/head per day in 2 feedings.

There is a small segment of the population at this time specifically looking for grassfed, but there is a large portion who doesn't want the hormones. I've found if you tell people that the problem with antibiotics is the daily feeding in the feedlots in trace amounts, because it causes resistance, and that you tell them you treat when necessary for something like pinkeye following all label recomendations and so on, then they are much more accepting to their use.

 

[PORKER]

Maybe I should have said with ScoringAg traceback labels the customer knows the producers product better ,PPRM . Like the label that is directly printed from the animals web page of records.

You can do a search by copying this code number, SSI_268AD76BCE going to www.ScoringAg.com ,or www.traceback.com find the SSI-EID search engine and the customer can see your public record of raising that grassfed animal . I have sold many ScoringAg recordkeeping systems from the smallest farmers to some of the largest ranches in North America . The customer wants truefull information of food products that he or she puts in their childerns mouths.

 

[PPRM]

Porker and Ben H....Would enjoy having coffee with you two someday....

Porker, I do see the benefits of your progrm, but for me, right now my customer sees me and who i am. You maybe should try to contact Painted Hills Natural Beef, someone that markets mire bationally than I.


I am not grass fat BTW.....

Ben, keep at it. Your desire to do it the right way will pay off,

PPRM

 

[RobertMac]

Porker, my name, address, and phone number is on every package of beef I sell and deliver to them face-to-face...my customers know me and how to reach me. AND, the animal ID is stamped on every package. I don't need SA traceback because every package of beef comes from an animal that was birth to slaughter under my complete control out of my close herd (genetics). What I do can only be duplicated by another producer like me!

Ben H, as for antibiotic...I believe quality meat comes from an animal that is raised birth to slaughter with no stress. If an animal needs antibiotic, it's been stressed. If I have to treat animal for anything, it doesn't go into my beef program. After having a closed herd for 5 years and 100% forage diet for 8 years, I don't own a bottle of antibiotics and have had zero vet cost for the last three years! :shock:

PPRM, I agree...taste is subjective...grassfed beef is not going to replace grainfed beef. To raise consistently consistent grassfed beef, moisture control is imperative. Genetics is also important, but like grain finishing, a quality diet can over come a degree of flawed genetics. I have no doubt that with irrigation and quality soil, in my climate, I can finish grassfeds (of the right genetics) as quickly and as fat as grain feeding.

The amount of saturate fat in the fatty acid profiles of grainfed and grassfed are not significantly different. The difference in the fatty acid profiles comes in the molecular difference in the fats based on the nutritional qualities of the feed and the 'rumen bugs' each food source supports. I have no doubt that grassfed fats are more healthy, but that relegates properly done grainfed to second best!

 

[PORKER]

Porker and Ben H....Would enjoy having coffee with you two someday....

PPRM, thats great cause it would take a whole pot to match the information exchange between us.

Porker, I do see the benefits of your progrm, but for me, right now my customer sees me and who i am. You maybe should try to contact Painted Hills Natural Beef, someone that markets more nationally than I.

I see that at the SA contacts page, proffessionals ,North America, that you have a couple of ScoringAg Reps nearby.

 

[PPRM]

Porker, my name, address, and phone number is on every package of beef I sell and deliver to them face-to-face...my customers know me and how to reach me. AND, the animal ID is stamped on every package. I don't need SA traceback because every package of beef comes from an animal that was birth to slaughter under my complete control out of my close herd (genetics). What I do can only be duplicated by another producer like me!

Ben H, as for antibiotic...I believe quality meat comes from an animal that is raised birth to slaughter with no stress. If an animal needs antibiotic, it's been stressed. If I have to treat animal for anything, it doesn't go into my beef program. After having a closed herd for 5 years and 100% forage diet for 8 years, I don't own a bottle of antibiotics and have had zero vet cost for the last three years! :shock:

PPRM, I agree...taste is subjective...grassfed beef is not going to replace grainfed beef. To raise consistently consistent grassfed beef, moisture control is imperative. Genetics is also important, but like grain finishing, a quality diet can over come a degree of flawed genetics. I have no doubt that with irrigation and quality soil, in my climate, I can finish grassfeds (of the right genetics) as quickly and as fat as grain feeding.

The amount of saturate fat in the fatty acid profiles of grainfed and grassfed are not significantly different. The difference in the fatty acid profiles comes in the molecular difference in the fats based on the nutritional qualities of the feed and the 'rumen bugs' each food source supports. I have no doubt that grassfed fats are more healthy, but that relegates properly done grainfed to second best!

Robert,

I see this as a lot like the Beer Industry. Microbrew really is huge in the Pacific Northwest and that indstry got going up here in hte 80's. I know it is nationwide now....

There was more than enough beer for the market, but what Microbrew did was put craftsmanship, uniqueness and branding to a level that did not exist. it created, or expanded the Beer Snob deal.....

There is enough room for everyone willing to do a great job....And, tastes differ....

My Grainfed is different. i do not need to mix any antibiotics into my feed as i don't push my cattle and yet don't see results that different in terms of gain. i don't fight Coccidiosis (Knock on wood) and have a very good free choice minral program.....It is really rare that I ever treat an animal and generally that tends to be bought animals I feed with mine.....I also sell all treated animals to Tyson and not in my program.

I say all this in that we are more alike than different. So, as you state it does come down to taste. The dinnerhouse that features our steaks had tried every grassfat producer in the area and then tried ours. We won handsdown....That doesn't make the the grassfat second best, just different and these folks really prefered ours....In this case...I recognize that.

I think we are also alike in the type of animal we slaughter as far as finish cover and age.....

I also applaud the work you guys are putting into Crafting a great grassfat product. This is said with all sincerity. I see too many guys think that all it takes to make good grassfat is to never feed grain, That is nonsense and am glad to see people like you guys that represent a better product....I just prefer corn fed....So, that is what I sell...kinda a Porter vs Ale deal (Ok, I don't know enough about beer to even know if that is dofferent)....Which is better, ask the guy that prefers one and the answer will be different than a guy who prefers the other. But he great thing is we are getting people back who had either stoped eating beef or were eating almost none....


So, keep up the good work....

PPRM

 

[PPRM]

Porker and Ben H....Would enjoy having coffee with you two someday....

PPRM, thats great cause it would take a whole pot to match the information exchange between us.

Porker, I do see the benefits of your progrm, but for me, right now my customer sees me and who i am. You maybe should try to contact Painted Hills Natural Beef, someone that markets more nationally than I.

I see that at the SA contacts page, proffessionals ,North America, that you have a couple of ScoringAg Reps nearby.

we have great coffee in the Pacific Northwest...More of something to savor than gulp down....I do apreciate your contributions here,

PPRM