E. coli Ground Beef Recall by South Gate Meat Co.
An E. coli ground beef recall has been issued by South Gate Meat Company after E. coli O157:H7 contamination was discovered in the meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The South Gate, California company ground beef recall includes about 35,000 pounds of various ground beef products that have the establishment number “EST. 6217″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were produced from June 7, 2010 through June 21, 2010 and distributed to Los Angeles restaurants and other restaurants in the Orange County area. The recalled beef includes the following products:
- 20-, 30- and 40-pound bulk packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF.”
- 30-, 40-, and 50-pound bulk packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. COARSE GROUND BEEF.”
- 10- and 20-pound packages of “SOUTH GATE MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTIES.
Inspection of samples through microbiological testing by the FSIS originally revealed the E. coli beef contamination.
E. coli Outbreak Fears Prompt New York Ground Beef Recall
An E. coli ground beef recall has been issued by Crown I Enterprises, Inc. of Bay Shore, New York, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The FSIS classifies this E. coli O157:H7 ground beef recall as a “Class I” Recall, which means, according to the FSIS:
“This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”
The recall involves about 3,700 pounds of various ground beef products that may be contaminated with this dangerous pathogen. This was discovered through microbiological testing by the FSIS. The potentially Ecoli-contaminated beef products that are being recalled have the establishment code “EST. 20889″ inside the USDA mark of inspection and are dated “10164″ and “10166.” Produced on June 11, 2010, and June 15, 2010, these products were distributed to food service institutions in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York and include the following products:
- 24, 8-ounce burgers in 12-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BURGER FRESH, WB HOME STYLE 8 OZ.”
- 32, 6-ounce burgers in 12-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BURGER FRESH 6 OZ.”
- 48, 4-ounce burgers in 12-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BURGER FRESH, 4 OZ.”
- 10-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BEEF GROUND/EXTRA LEAN.”
- 10- and 20-pound boxes of “W.B. STOCKYARD, KEEP REFRIGERATED, BEEF GROUND 80/20.”
Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak Linked to Hartmann Dairy Farm in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has released new evidence that an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 5 Minnesotans is linked to raw milk products from the Hartmann Dairy Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota. The strain of E. coli bacteria that sickened these people came from Hartmann Dairy Farm, according to the MDH.
Several victims were hospitalized, including a toddler with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a serious complication that can arise from E. coli poisoning and can do life-long kidney damage to patients, especially the very young and the elderly. These illnesses occurred throughout the state of Minnesota. Initially, the common link between these illnesses, health officials say, was that they had all consumed products from the Hartmann dairy farm. This epidemiological link, however, is now reinforced by the MDH’s confirmation through microbiological testing that the strain of E. coli found on the farm is the same strain found in the patients. Additionally, the MDH reports:
“…the specific strain of E. coli O157:H7 found in the ill patients has also been found in multiple animals and at multiple sites on the Hartmann farm. This strain of E. coli has not previously been found in Minnesota. Furthermore, laboratory tests confirmed that cheese samples collected last week from the farm contained another form of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, demonstrating that an ongoing pathway of contamination existed on the farm.”
The food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen attorneys currently represent a man sickened from raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome as is now paralyzed. Our attorneys are all too familiar with the dangers that can arise from consuming raw milk.
What is Raw Milk? Why Can it Make Us Sick?
Most milk in the supermarket is pasteurized in order to kill potentially harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and Campylobacter. However, some people believe raw, or unpasteurized milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk and choose to drink it. Public health organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics all advocate pasteurization as a standard practice.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture restricts the sale of raw milk to occasional sales of milk directly from the farmer to consumer. If consumers choose to drink raw milk, the MDA urges that they:
- Do their homework: consumers should educate themselves on how to consume raw milk SAFELY and RESPONSIBLY
- Consumers MUST go directly to the farm to get the milk, according to Minnesota law.
- Consumers MUST bring their own containers. Farmers are NOT allowed to bottle their own raw milk for sale.
E. coli Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Case In MN Raw Milk Outbreak
A Hartmann Dairy Farm E. coli raw milk outbreak in Minnesota has left one toddler in the hospital with hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS) and infected three other Minnesotans with the dangerous pathogen, E. coli 0157:H7.
The other three E coli victims include a 70-year-old man and two school-aged children. The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed that all four cases involve the same strain of Ecoli, with the same DNA fingerprint. Three of the four cases are reportedly linked to raw milk produced by Hartmann Dairy Farm of Gibbon, MN. The Minnesota health department urged in a press release:
“anyone who may have recently purchased milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm, also known as M.O.M.’s, to discard the product and not consume it.”
The MDH press release also mentions that the milk may be labeled simply as “organic” and consumers may not be aware that the milk is raw and unpasteurized. Some people believe that raw, unpasteurized milk is healthier than pasteurized milk, although scientific evidence on this point is inconclusive.
Pasteurization makes milk safer for human consumption and it is illegal to sell raw, unpasteurized milk across state lines. In Minnesota, the sale of raw milk is heavily regulated by law. However, new facts have surfaced about the owner and operator of Hartmann Dairy Farms, showing he has resisted regulations. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
“Michael Hartmann, whose dairy is just outside this town of 800 people, last had a license to sell Grade A milk in 2001. He has kicked inspectors off his property, refused to tell a judge his name in court and asserted he is a “natural man” with a constitutional right to raise and sell food without government interference.”
About E. coli and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Symptoms of an E. coli infection are initially painful and uncomfortable, and may include abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and nausea. They may begin 2 to 5 days after the contaminated food or fluids are consumed. However, the infection can soon turn life-threatening if it develops into Ecoli HUS syndrome (hemolytic uremic syndrome). This can cause kidney failure, requiring dialysis treatment and leaving long-lasting effects that can severely affect the victim’s quality of life for years to come.
Montclair Meat Ground Beef Tainted With E. coli O157:H7
More than 50,000 pounds of potentially E. coli-tainted ground beef products are being recalled by Montclair Meat Co., Inc, of Montclair, California, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The E coli ground beef recall involves packages with the establishment number “Est. 6116″ on the label and the meat was produced between May 3 and May 13, 2010. The ground beef products were distributed to retailers and government establishments for further processing in the Los Angeles area. The products include:
- Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF”
- Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. ALL BEEF PATTIES”
FSIS discovered the E. coli O157:H7 contamination in the meat through microbiological sampling. More detailed retail and distribution information will be posted here, if and when it becomes available.
E. coli is a serious foodborne illness that can cause serious gastrointestinal symptoms including severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. It can develop into more serious complications including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure and other serious, ongoing medical conditions. The food poisoning attorneys at Pritzker Olsen law firm have extensive experience representing victims of serious foodborne illnesses including E. coli O147:H7 and E. coli HUS. If you or a loved one suspect you’ve contracted and E. coli infection, be sure to visit the doctor and ask to be tested for that specific pathogen. Those sickened by foodborne illness may have a legal case against the food producers, distributors and others.
Montclair Meat Ground Beef E. coli Recall
Montclair Meat Co., Inc., a Montclair, Calif., establishment is recalling approximately 53,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The products subject to recall include:
- Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF”
- Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. ALL BEEF PATTIES”
Each package bears establishment number “Est. 6116″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. These ground beef products were produced between the dates of May 3, 2010 through May 13, 2010, and were shipped to retailers and federal establishments for further processing in the Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area.
The problem was discovered through FSIS microbiological sampling. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
