Colorado beef company expands recall due to possible E. coli
By Joshuah at 29 June, 2009, 5:46 pm
A Colorado company’s recall last week of beef products possibly contaminated with E. coli has been expanded, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week.
The recall came as a result of “an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states,” the USDA said.
The initial recall of 41,280 pounds announced last Wednesday was voluntarily expanded Sunday to include an additional 380,000 pounds of products made by the JBS Swift Beef Company, of Greeley, Colorado, the USDA said.
The recall came as a result of “an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states, of which at least 18 appear to be associated,” the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a written statement.
USDA spokesman Brian Mabery said no fatalities had been reported.
Source/Full Story: CNN.com
JBS Announces Voluntary Recall of Products Produced on April 21, 2009
GREELEY, CO (June 28, 2009) – On June 24, 2009, JBS Swift Beef Company of Greeley, Colorado, in
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducted a voluntary recall of 41,280 pounds
of whole muscle cut beef products that may have been contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.
Today, after consultation with the USDA and thorough review of our internal records, we are voluntarily
expanding our recall to cover an additional 380,000 pounds of specific products produced on April 21,
2009.
While the product was distributed as whole muscle cuts, some of this product was likely further processed
through trimming and grinding into ground beef by our customers. According to USDA, some of this
ground product might have been associated with illness.
The whole muscle cuts subject to the recall were produced at JBS Swift Beef Company’s facility
in Greeley, Colorado, USDA EST. 969, on April 21, 2009, and distributed nationally and internationally.
The list of whole muscle cut beef products subject to the recall is available on the USDA’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/index.asp.
Each of our customers will be personally informed of this recall by phone. In addition, each customer will
receive a more detailed letter which further describes our recall process.
“We continue to work closely with the USDA to ensure that product is removed from the marketplace and
the recall is completed successfully,” said Chandler Keys, JBS Spokesperson. “It is important for
consumers to note that the recalled product from the date in question was sold by JBS as whole muscle
cuts, not as ground beef. The ground beef that might have been associated with illness was produced by
other companies who often do not use the antimicrobial intervention steps we employ in our facility to
reduce the risk of the beef products. Nevertheless, we have agreed to expand our recall of whole muscle
cuts out of an abundance of caution for consumers.”
Consumers who may be concerned about beef they purchased recently should contact their local retailer to
determine if it is part of the recall. Consumers with questions may contact the JBS Consumer Hotline at
(800) 685-6328, option 1. Media with questions about the recall should contact company spokesperson
Chandler Keys at 800-685-6328, option 3.
Ground beef should be cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria (at least 160 degrees
F.). The best way to be sure ground beef is properly cooked is to use an accurate food thermometer. For
more information on this recall, visit USDA’s FSIS recall webpage at
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/index.asp. For more information about food safety, visit the
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service web site, www.fsis.usda.gov, or the centers for Disease
Control and Prevention web site, www.cdc.gov.
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