Minnesota E. Coli Infections Prompt Expansive Beef Recall

[villager]

Source: Cattle Network (yes, really!)

Minnesota E. Coli Infections Prompt Expansive Beef Recall



PM Beef Holdings LLC in Windom, Minn., is voluntarily recalling approximately 117,500 pounds of beef trim products used to make ground beef, due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The trim was produced on March 27, 2007, and shipped to distributors and retail outlets in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Because these products later became ground beef sold under many different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall.

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Read more: http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=129239

[soothsayer]

1. Eat at Marriott hotels, they test all their ground beef for e coli!

[villager]

2. it's kind of sad they have to, but -- were I an eater of beef -- that'd be good to know...

:hi:

[Tempest]

3. A voluntary recall

Nice to see the FDA is doing its job.

[jakem]

4. Essentially all recalls are voluntary.

The FDA contacts the company and recommends a recall. The company voluntarily recalls the products.

If the company refuses, the FDA must basically take them to court. Who would want that extra press?

[Tempest]

5. The contamination was caught by the state, not the FDA

The possible contamination was discovered by the Minnesota Department of after seven cases of E. coli infection were linked to ground beef processed at PM Beef. (they left out the Agriculture part)

Since the meat is going across state lines, it falls under FDA jurisdiction.

The FDA should have caught it. But that would be difficult since Bush eliminated almost 75% of the inspectors.

[NYC]

6. Produced on March 27th.

Quite some time ago. Many people may have eaten it.

[villager]

7. exactly -- yet it seems despite the E. coli, not a large outbreak of sickness?

Luck? Delayed symptoms? People feeling just a bit "under the weather" without knowing why?

[Kool Kitty]

8. All of the above.

I was very surprised when I heard how many people are sickened and/or die of food poisoning here in the US. (This was discussed in one of the many hearings about food safety, the pet food recall, etc., over the past year or year and a half.) People get sick and think it's just a stomach bug, something that's going around and just deal with it by themselves if they can, and it doesn't get reported. I'm glad I don't eat meat anymore. (But then again, I have to worry about spinach, lettuce...dammit.)

[NYC]

10. We'll never know.

I suppose only the people sick enough to be hospitalized get reported anyway.

That doesn't mean people weren't sick.

[knitter4democracy]

9. I hope the fast food places do something about this, too.

I'd bet they got some of this beef, as well as regular restaurants. Eek--that's a whole lot of people.

As for our family, we only eat local bison. It's far better, it's cheaper in bulk, and I can trust the people who raise them and who butcher them.

[villager]

11. environmentally speaking, all red meat eating Americans should be eating bison

much much better for the indigenous ecosystem(s), than the invading cow...

[knitter4democracy]

13. And it tastes amazingly good!

It tastes the way you imagine beef does right before you take that first bite that always disappoints. Nothing beats bison, frankly. It's lower in fat than skinless chicken, higher in protein and iron than beef, and they're raised up here often on scrubland or reclaimed gravel quarries without all those funky chemicals. Gotta support those local farmers. :)

[flyarm]

12. ok let me get this straight ..now it is beef , chicken, pork , fish and spinach

we can not eat..no wheat something or other..

shit..what can we eat now????????

we can't even eat the freaking dog food!!

dangggggggggggg...what am i going to fix the family tonight??????

fly


ps..and no taco bell..rats........