National Steak and Poultry company issued a press release that identified three restaurant chains as the primary recipients of 248,000 pounds of beef steaks potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 that was recalled on December 24th.
It was the first accounting of where the tainted steaks were distributed because USDA — the federal agency that regulates the meat industry — has been silent on the issue. When the recall was first announced, USDA said the recalled steaks, including many boneless cuts wrapped in bacon, had been distributed to restaurants nationwide.
But here’s how National Steak and Poultry explains it: “The recall is limited to beef products sold primarily to the
Moe’s, Carino’s Italian Grill, and KRM restaurants in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, South Dakota and Washington. These are the states where the USDA has determined there have been illnesses that could be linked to contaminated beef.”
The company also said it is “in the process of reviewing our procedures and will make any necessary upgrades.”
KRM is parent company to a chain of 54th Street Grill & Bar restaurants, including some in Kansas. Moe’s Southwest Grill is a franchise restaurant chain with locations in several states, including Colorado and at least three Michigan cities: Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Grand Rapids. Carino’s is a chain with locations in South Dakota, Kansas and Colorado.
The outbreak of E. coli illnesses associated with blade-tenderized steaks has sickened at least 19 people in Michigan, Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Washington and Iowa according to a Tulsa World Herald quote from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Arleen Parcell-Pharr.
The story also said this about the company’s admission that recalled product was made October 12, 13, 14 and 21: “The USDA verified those dates, adding that source material for the company’s chopped steak product produced Oct. 12 that had tested positive for E.coli O157:H7 had mingled with products produced on the other dates.”
National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen was the first organization to publicly announce that state and federal health officials were investigating a steak E. coli outbreak involving mechanically tenderized steaks. The firm is still investigating how this outbreak could have been prevented and would like to hear from anyone with information; call 1-888-377-8900.
Studies have shown that piercing intact steaks and injecting them with brine and other liquids to improve flavor can drive surface E. coli into the center of the meat where it can survive if cooked rare or medium. That is why the USDA in 1999 banned the sale of non-intact steaks contaminated with E . coli O157:H7, a virulent bacteria that can lead to life-threatening disease.
