030166 Safeway Selling Irradiated Ground Beef in DC, MDJanuary 30, 2003San Diego, CA - SureBeam Corporation announced that consumers can now buy SureBeam processed fresh ground beef at all 136 Safeway Eastern Division supermarkets in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, DC Safeway is offering fresh ground beef products processed with SureBeam Corporation's revolutionary electron beam technology, a process that uses ordinary electricity to safely eliminate the threat of dangerous bacteria from food products. "Safeway's primary goal is to provide customers with the highest quality food products available," said Roger Herding, Safeway Eastern Division Marketing Vice President. "As consumers have become increasingly concerned about the safety and wholesomeness of the ground beef they are purchasing, we believe that this product will help ease their concerns." Safeway is selling SureBeam processed fresh ground beef in one-pound packages of 85-percent and 93-percent lean. "It's exciting to know that consumers throughout the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area can now purchase SureBeam fresh ground beef at their local Safeway stores," stated Larry Oberkfell, SureBeam Chairman, CEO and President. "By offering this important choice to their customers, Safeway is demonstrating their national leadership in food safety." Similar to a microwave oven, SureBeam technology uses electricity as an energy source to irradiate harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. The SureBeam patented system is based on proven electron beam technology that destroys dangerous bacteria, much like thermal pasteurization does to milk. Safeway's entry into the market brings to over 2,100 the total number of stores in the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic States offering SureBeam processed fresh ground beef. This is in addition to the thousands of supermarkets providing SureBeam processed frozen hamburger patties, which are also provided through home delivery, direct mail and food service. Safeway's Eastern Division employs approximately 11,000 people and operates 136 stores, including 16 in the District of Columbia, 75 in Maryland, 44 in Virginia and one in Delaware. Safeway, a Fortune 50 company, is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America with annualized sales exceeding $34 billion. The company operates approximately 1,755 stores in the United States and Canada with a total workforce of nearly 200,000 employees.
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