Maryland Man Sick in E. coli Bison Outbreak
Another victim has been identified in the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats E. coli bison outbreak and recall, according to food safety attorneys at Pritzker Olsen law firm.
A man in Baltimore, Maryland became sick with E. coli O157:H7 after eating Great Range brand bison meat in mid June, say Pritzker Olsen attorneys, who represent the food poisoning victim. Great Range was one brand involved in the recall, which also included Nature’s Rancher and The Buffalo Guys brands.
The 28-year-old man was notified by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that the strain of E. coli O157:H7 that sickened him matched the strain that sickened others in Colorado and one in New York.
The food safety lawyers also represent a woman from Lakewood, Colorado, in a lawsuit filed last week against Rocky Mountain Natural Meats. That client was hospitalized for several days after eating bison meat bought at King Soopers grocery.
Ready Pac Spinach E. coli Recall Announced
An E. coli recall has been issued for hundreds of cases of Ready Pac baby spinach that could be contaminated, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Ready Pac Foods, Inc., an Irwindale, California company, is recalling the spinach because it could be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 after a random sample test conducted by the FDA came out positive for this harmful bacterium.
Ready Pac E. coli Baby Spinach Recall: Product Details
- Name: Baby Spinach Spinach Temptations 6-ounce bagged salad
- Use By Date: July 4 with Product Code 11707B, IR127121 and July 8 with Product Code 12007B, IR130373
- These dates are found in the upper left-hand corner of the packages, product codes underneath
- Sold in: California, Washington, Arizona
According to the FDA announcement:
“Because it is still possible that products bearing the Use-by Dates of July 4 and July 8 with the above Products Codes could be on store shelves, this recall extends to retailers as well as consumers. Ready Pac believes that it is important to alert consumers and retailers who might still possess one of the potentially affected salads to dispose of it immediately.”
Consumers may return the product for a full refund. Anyone who thinks they may have become sick with E. coli food poisoning from contaminated spinach should see a doctor immediately and get tested for E. coli.
Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Bison E. coli Recall Expanded
The Colorado firm that recalled more than 60,000 pounds of ground bison and tenderized bison steaks expanded the recall to include more than 700 pounds of bison meat distributed to a firm in Nevada for further processing, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The recall is an expansion of an earlier July 2 recall of bison meat potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The meat products are associated with an E. coli outbreak that has sickened five people in Colorado and one person in New York.
The following products are involved in the recall:
- 16-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL GROUND BISON.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 21, June 22 or June 24, 2010.
- 16-ounce packages of “NATURE’S RANCHER GROUND BUFFALO.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 22, 2010.
- 16-ounce packages of “THE BUFFALO GUYS ALL NATURAL GROUND BUFFALO 90% LEAN.” These products have a lot number of 0147.
- 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON STEAK MEDALLIONS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 23 and June 24, 2010.
- 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON SIRLOIN STEAKS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 20, June 23 and June 24, 2010.
- 15-pound boxes of “ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS, INC. BISON 10 OZ SIRLOIN STEAK.” These products went to restaurants and bear a Julian Code of 0141.
- Various weight boxes of “BISON B TRIM.” These products bear a production date of May 21, 2010 and a Julian Code of 14110. The boxes also state “KEEP REFRIGERATED.”
The retail distribution list for the potentially contaminated, recalled bison meat has also been updated and now includes:
- Albertsons
- Giant Food
- Hannaford’s
- King Soopers
- Kroger’s
- Market Basket
- Price Chopper’s
- Stop & Shop Supermarket
- Super Valu
- Whole Foods
The FSIS will update the retail distribution list as information becomes available.
Wegman’s Supermarkets Recalls Bison Products Due to Possible E. coli Contamination
On July 2, the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) announced the recall of about 66,0000 pounds of bison products processed by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, a Colorado firm. When available, USDA-FSIS publishes a list of retailers to which recalled products were distributed. The USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) list of retailers selling recalled bison products processed by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats includes the following:
- Hannaford’s
- King Soopers
- Market Basket
- Price Choppers
- Whole Foods
The list is incomplete. Wegman’s Supermarkets recalled two of the recalled bison products it sold at their stores:
- Great Range Buffalo Sirloin Steaks, 12 oz., UPC 16447-10226 Only product with sell or freeze-by date of June 20, 23, or 24, 2010
- Great Range Ground Bison, 16 oz., UPC 16447 10090 Only product with a sell or freeze-by date of June 21, 22, or 24, 2010
The Rocky Mountain Natural Meat products were recalled because they may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7.
The possible contamination was discovered by USDA-FSIS during the course of an on-going investigation into a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Colorado with illness onset dates between June 4, 2010 and June 9, 2010. FSIS determined that there is an association between the ground bison products and the cluster of illnesses in the state of Colorado and an additional illness in New York.
Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Recall of Bison Products Due to E coli Outbreak in Colorado and New York
Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, a Henderson, Colorado establishment, is recalling approximately 66,000 pounds of ground and tenderized steak bison products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an on-going investigation into a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Colorado with illness onset dates between June 4, 2010 and June 9, 2010. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the New York Department of Health, 5 case-patients have been identified in Colorado as well as 1 case-patient in New York with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern. FSIS determined that there is an association between the ground bison products and the cluster of illnesses in the state of Colorado. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should contact a health care provider.
The following products are subject to recall:
- 16-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL GROUND BISON.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 21, June 22 or June 24, 2010.
- 16-ounce packages of “NATURE’S RANCHER GROUND BUFFALO.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 22, 2010.
- 16-ounce packages of “THE BUFFALO GUYS ALL NATURAL GROUND BUFFALO 90% LEAN.” These products have a lot number of 0147.
- 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON STEAK MEDALLIONS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 23 and June 24, 2010
- 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON SIRLOIN STEAKS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 20, June 23 and June 24, 2010
- 15-pound boxes of “ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS, INC. BISON 10 OZ SIRLOIN STEAK.” These products went to restaurants and bear a Julian Code of 0141.
The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 20247” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were produced between the dates of May 21, 2010 through May 27, 2010, and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide and food service distributors in Utah and Arizona. While the sell-by dates for these products have passed, FSIS and the establishment are aware that consumers may also freeze the product before use and there is concern that some product may still be frozen and in consumers’ freezers.
Federal Government Unveils Product Recalls App
Product recalls–the feds have an app for that. The Products Recall app is available at the app store on the USA.gov site. It is only available for the Android smartphone now, but the apps for Blackberry and iPhone are soon to follow.
The Products Recall app pulls information from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agencies that report food recalls.
The app allows consumers to view the most recent recall press releases and any pictures associated with those products. Consumers can get information of specific interest to them using a feature on the app that searches recalled products by product name or category.
The app’s “report incident” feature allows consumers to connect directly with their government to report concerns of unsafe products. A “tips” option will feature rotating educational messages for consumers about a variety of products, such as highlighting safe food handling tips as popular cooking holidays approach.
“Our goal is to quickly inform the public and media when food products are recalled,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Jerold Mande. “This app puts the information directly in the hands of consumers, giving them the power to take action.”
In addition to foods regulated by FSIS and FDA, the Products Recall app also includes recall information for drugs, cribs, strollers, child safety seats, tires, and other consumer products.
