Valley Meat Company E. coli Recall Retail Distribution List

Meat was recalled from stores in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Texas, Nevada, Washington and Oregon. The Recalled products were manufactured from Oct. 2009-Jan. 2010. The establishment number on the recalled frozen beef products is EST. 8268 and the production codes are 25709 through 01210.

Times Super Market
King Market
Oak Creek Market, Inc.
Four Corners Market
Anza Village Market
Big Trees Market
Spencers Fresh Market
Ponderosa Market
Banning Village Market
Rio Ranch Market
My T Fine Foods
Ben Lomand Market
Andronico’s Markets, Inc.
Manor Market Inc
Boron Food Mart, Inc.
Dinsmor Store
Mollie Stones
Mike’s Discount Food Market
P W Supermarket Inc.
Page’s Market
Al Mancasola’s Grocery Markets
Farmers Fresco Supermarket
Foods Etc.
Oaks Red and White
Colfax Sierra Market
Solano Market
The Original Irvine Ranch Market
Best Deal Food Company Inc.
Del Sol Market
El Sol Market
Erickson Supermarket
Fairway Stores
IGA
J. Solanki Meat
McKays
Mi Pueblo San Jose Inc.
Safeway
Select Markets
Super A Foods, Inc.
Super Center Concepts, Inc
Ukas Big Saver Foods
Vons
Buy-Low Market
Glazier’s Food Marketplace
Mariana’s
The Sierra Nevada Trading Company
PC Hometown Market
Two Boys Grocery
Hometown Foods Drain
Red Apple
Halsey Select Market
Jefferson Hometown Market
Stewarts Market
Martins Food Center
Mill City Market Place
Mohler Co-Op
Steve’s Market
Food 4 Less
Price Slasher
Mt Hood Foods
Jack’s Family Market
Ken & Sons Select
Shady Cove Market
Sheridan Select
Noels Market Inc
Stanfield Main St Market
Thriftway
Sentry
Main Street Market
Auburn’s Main Street Market
Matthew’s Thriftway
Ralph’s Red Apple Market
Andy’s Market
Plaza Market
Holcomb’s Market
Bridle Trails Red Apple
Cascade Mercantile
Food Emporium
Pay-Less Supermarkets

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.

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.”

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.

The information was compiled by The Food Industry Center at the University of Minnesota in an in-depth case study of the 2008 recall of 143 million pounds of beef from Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Co. in Chino, California.

In that case, the massive recall was spurred by Humane Society of the United States video of inhumane treatment of cows at the plant and USDA’s admission that meat produced at the plant was unfit for human consumption because it was processed without lawful inspection.

The Westland/Hallmark recall on February 17, 2008, was by far the largest ever. The two next largest were caused by Listeria contamination — one in Michigan in 1999 for 35 million pounds and a poultry recall in Pennsylvania in 2002 for 27 million pounds.

Numbers four, five and six were beef E. coli recalls related to E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks that included cases of life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children.

Fourth Largest:  1977 Hudson Foods Co. of Nebraska/ 25 million pounds of ground beef sold to quick-service retailers. Tied to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak of about 20 illnesses.

Fifth Largest: 2007 Topps Meats Co. of New Jersey/ 21.7 million pounds of frozen ground beef patties. Tied to more than 30 E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in eight states.

Sixth Largest: 2002 ConAgra Foods of Colorado/ 18.6 million pounds of beef. Tied to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in 10 states that sickened at least 34 people.

They are calling for a shift to deeper investigations — a reform supported by national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen.  Such a move would better safeguard consumers, especially amid a spate of beef recalls. Already since December 24, 2009, more than 1 million pounds of beef have been recalled after USDA testing in plants found beef E. coli poisoning.

When positive test results are found in connection with a beef E. coli outbreak or other foodborne disease, USDA launches a comprehensive investigation to find the root cause. Those probes are carried out with layers of assistance form Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health departments and sometimes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

But an in-depth story by Chicago Tribune reporter Steve Mills questions why investigators don’t also kick out the jams when inspectors for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) detect E. coli O157:H7 in finished meat samples at packing and processing plants. It does not appear unreasonable given the small number of positive test results.

In 2009, for instance, there were 41 positive results from more than 11,600 tests, the Tribune reported. Six of those positive tests occurred at five facilities in Illinois. Since 2001, the highest number of positive E. coli O157:H7 test results was 59.

Deeper investigations are especially needed when E. coli O157:H7 inspections are positive in ground beef. Ground beef is made from various lots of meat that are combined at a grinding facility. The lots are frequently divided and sold to a number of  different grinding locations. Safety advocates told the Tribune those facts highlight the need to work backward to identify the source of contamination, so tainted meat from other facilities does not reach consumers.

“There’s ironclad evidence that contaminated product is out there, but they don’t do a full investigation,” said Felicia Nestor, a senior policy analyst at the food safety group Food & Water Watch, which also signed the letter to Vilsack. “It’s unconscionable.”

“Why are they doing these investigations if they’re not doing them to put their arms around all the product and find out what went wrong?” asked Donna Rosenbaum, executive director of Safe Tables Our Priority.

A spokesman for FSIS told the Tribune that the agency will “continue working on refining traceability methods and approaches to meat inspections.”  Officials are planning a public meeting, tentatively scheduled for March, to discuss approaches to meat inspections.

The West Missouri beef recall applies to 14,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced. It was distributed to Chicago area wholesalers in 2000-pound “combo bins”

The following products are subject to recall:

• One combo bin containing approximately 2,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef identified as “75 1-M,” produced on October 26, 2009.
• One combo bin containing approximately 2,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef identified as “90 3-D,” produced on November 25, 2009.
• One combo bin containing approximately 2,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef identified as “90 5-D,” produced on November 27, 2009.
• Combo bins containing approximately 2,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef identified as “90 2-P,” “90 2-R” or “90 2-V,” produced on December 8, 2009.
• One combo bin containing approximately 2,000 pounds of fresh boneless beef identified as “90 3-E,” produced on January 13, 2010.

The problem was discovered by FSIS during a verification review performed at the establishment. The product bears the USDA establishment number 5821. FSIS said it is not aware of illnesses associated with the recall.

In January, beef E. coli recalls were announced by Adams Farm Slaughterhouse of Massachusetts and Huntington Meat Packing Inc. of California. Total poundage for the year so far is 880,500 pounds.

The investigation is ongoing and includes collaboration with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service  and several state health departments.

The CDC’s first published confirmation of the outbreak said it peaked in mid-November, with onsets of illnesses ranging from October 3 through December 14. Nine people have been hopsitalized and one has suffered life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication that is most likely to occur in children under 5 years old.

The E. coli recall of 248,000 pounds of boneless sirloin steak, sirloin tips, medallions, beef trim and other beef products was first announced on December 24th. At the time, National Steak and Poultry identified three restaurant chains as the primary recipients of recalled products. They were Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carino’s Italian and the KRM restaurant chain 54th Street Grill and Bar.

But just this week, Nation’s Restaurant News quoted officials from Applebee’s and Olive Garden who also admitted receiving beef products from National Steak and Poultry that were later recalled. National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker has called on the beef processor, which operates a plant in Owasso, Oklahoma, to disclose a complete audit of which restaurants in the country received meat that was potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

More information needs to come out about this outbreak and recall. Here are the words chosen by CDC that connect the meat processor to the outbreak, which investigators have associated with steaks that were blade tenderized before further processing: ”At this time, at least some of the illnesses appear to be associated with products subject to a recent FSIS recall.”

E. coli in steak: What you need to know

Is it always safe to eat a steak served rare? Seems like a simple question.

But a Dec. 24 National Steak and Poultry recall of almost 250,000 pounds of blade-tenderized beef forced consumers and health officials to reevaluate the question—especially after government agencies associated the recalled beef with 21 cases of E. coli in 16 states.

Typically, ground beef comes to mind when considering meat that could be tainted with E. coli. But this outbreak involved blade-tenderized, or what health officials call “non-intact” beef, which included steaks, beef medallions and sirloin tips. “Blade-tenderized” or “non-intact” refers to meat that has been punctured with needles or blades to break down the tissue and make a tougher cut of muscle more tender. Any pathogen (like E. coli) on the surface of the beef is normally killed in the cooking process if the beef is intact. But the mechanical tenderization process drives pathogens inside the beef. If it isn’t cooked until the internal temperature reaches at least 140 degrees, the beef could still contain the pathogen.

Government officials and industry groups offer mixed advice on what consumers should do. The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods determined in 2002 that non-intact beef can indeed harbor infective amounts of E. coli, but that following the 140-degree rule will put you in the clear. A 2002 risk assessment by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) concluded there is almost no difference in risk of illness from intact versus non-intact steaks.

And yet there have been several E. coli outbreaks since then involving mechanically tenderized meat. This has put the spotlight on the issue of labeling. If non-intact steak must be cooked a certain way to guarantee its safety, then shouldn’t consumers have the right to know whether their steak is intact so they can cook it accordingly? That was the recommendation issued in a 2005 study by the Minnesota Department of Health following a 2003 outbreak of E. coli associated with blade-tenderized frozen steaks sold by door-to-door salesmen. In light of the National Steak and Poultry outbreak, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro called for labeling of non-intact steaks, stating “USDA has been aware of the E. coli risks associated with mechanically tenderized steaks as early as 1999, but has refused to act…consumers should be made fully aware of the products they are receiving so they can assure that they are cooked at the appropriate temperature.”

Furthermore, does this mean every time we eat at a restaurant, we should order our steak cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees? The National Restaurant Association in 2000 decided that restaurant patrons asking for rare- or medium-cooked steak should be informed that non-intact steaks should be cooked to at least 145 degrees to ensure safety. But when is the last time your server told you that?

That’s the report in a ground beef recall notice published Tuesday by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The agency detected E. coli O157:H7 in the meat, which was packaged in 10-pound packages of “bulk fresh ground beef.”

The recalled meet is marked with USDA establishment number EST 5726 inside the USDA mark of inspection. The ground beef E. coli recall notice from FSIS said no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled product.

Anyone with E. coli O157:H7 symptoms should see a physician immediately. To review your legal rights, call an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online contact and information forms. Our firm will provide you with a free case consultation.