WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2002—EMMPAK Foods Inc., doing business as Peck Meats, a Milwaukee, Wis., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 416,000 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The following ground beef products were distributed to hotels, restaurants and other institutions nationwide.

·         20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL USE, 5829940."

·         20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL USE, 7222201."

·         20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL USE, 1003516."

·         20-pound boxes of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, 2/10, PACKED FOR INSTITUTIONAL USE, 1077643."

All of the products listed above include the establishment code "EST. 20654" inside the USDA seal of inspection.

The following products were distributed to retail stores in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Each of the products was produced between August 20 and August 24.

The following products have "SELL BY" dates of "8-29-02," "8-30-02," "8-31-02," "9-1-02" or "9-2-02." The products subject to recall are one-to-five pound packages of: 

·         "READY TO GRILL, GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES, THICK, 1/3 LB, PATTIES." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES, CONTAINS 20% FAT."

·         "GROUND CHUCK, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF CHUCK, CONTAINS 20% FAT."

·         "LEAN GROUND BEEF, 100% BEEF, 92% LEAN, 8% FAT." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 8% FAT."

·         "GROUND BEEF, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 27% FAT." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 27% FAT."

·         "GROUND ROUND, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 15% FAT." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF ROUND, CONTAINS 15% FAT."  

·         "EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF, 100% BEEF, 96% LEAN, 4% FAT." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "LEAN GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 4% FAT."

·         "GROUND CHUCK PATTIES, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT." The following bar coded label is also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF CHUCK PATTIES, CONTAINS 20% FAT."

·         "GROUND ROUND PATTIES, 100% BEEF, CONTAINS 15% FAT." The following bar coded label also applied to the package: "GROUND BEEF ROUND PATTIES, CONTAINS 15% FAT."

·         5-pound bags of "Our Own KITCHEN, 20 QUARTER POUND, 100% PURE, BEEF PATTIES."  

·         "SUPER TRU BRAND MEAT, PRESTIGE GENUINE GROUND BEEF."

All of the products listed above include the establishment code "EST. 20654" inside the USDA seal of inspection.

Public health officials from FSIS and the state Minnesota identified foodborne illness associated with the outbreak in Minnesota. FSIS’ investigation of illnesses in other states is underway. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

"Consumers need to know that consumption of this product has caused food-related illness," said Dr. Garry L. McKee, FSIS administrator. "I strongly encourage purchasers of ground beef to check their refrigerators and freezers for the recalled product. If consumers are in possession of the recalled product they should return it to the point of purchase."

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. 

Media with questions about the recall may contact Mark Klein, director of communications for EMMPAK, at (414) 978-6666. 

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact the EMMPAK Consumer Hotline at (877) 817-7622.  

Consumers with other food safety questions can phone the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. The hotline is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. 

PREPARING GROUND BEEF FOR SAFE CONSUMPTION

Although the product being recalled should be returned to the place of purchase, consumers preparing other ground beef products should heed the following advice.

Consumers should only eat ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe temperature of 160 ºF. When a ground beef patty is cooked to 160 ºF throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color.

The only way to be sure a ground beef patty is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use an accurate digital instant-read thermometer.

Color is not a reliable indicator that ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.

Eating a pink or red ground beef patty without first verifying that the safe temperature of 160 ºF has been reached is a significant risk factor for foodborne illness.

Thermometer use to ensure proper cooking temperature is especially important for those who cook or serve ground beef patties to people most at risk for foodborne illness because E. coli O157:H7 can lead to serious illness or even death. Those most at risk include young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.