010525 E. Coli Fears Prompt Hamburger Recall

New York - About 254,000 pounds of frozen hamburger patties are being voluntarily recalled by Emmpak Foods, Inc. of Butler, Wisconsin, due to fears of possible contamination with a lethal strain of the Escherichia coli bacteria, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced.

“Because of the potential hazard of foodborne illness...I urge consumers who have purchased the suspect product not to eat it and return it to the place of purchase,” Thomas Billy, acting administrator for the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), said in a statement.

The meat was sold to retail and institutional establishments in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin, according to USDA.

FSIS tested samples of the hamburger patties after being contacted by Georgia officials about a suspected illness associated with the meat. The patties tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, but no direct link between the recalled meat and the illness has yet been confirmed.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially lethal bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration. It is especially dangerous to the very old and very young, and those with compromised immune systems.

Subject to recall are 10-pound cases of “Hamburger Patties 100% Pure Beef” and 16-pound cases of “Steak n' Shake BEEF STEAKBURGER (CHOPPED AND FORMED).”

The patties, produced on October 20, 2000, can be identified by a case code beginning with “2940.” The steakburgers, produced on February 8, 2001, can be identified by a date code that starts with “PACKED ON W 02-08-01.” In addition, both of the recalled items have the establishment number “924A” printed inside the USDA seal of inspection.

“USDA is informing the public so consumers who may have purchased and stored the product in their refrigerators or freezers can know to check,” Billy said. “Consumers may also wish to ask restaurants and institutions they patronize where their ground beef was produced.”

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