Palo Duro Meat of Amarillo, TX Recalls 40,000 lbs.Ground Beef Products for E. coli O157:H7

Texas Firm Recalls Ground Beef Due To Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination

Recall Release CLASS I RECALL FSIS-RC-075-2011 HEALTH RISK: HIGH Congressional and Public Affairs (202) 720-9113 Neil Gaffney WASHINGTON, Sep 23, 2011 - Palo Duro Meat, an Amarillo, Texas, establishment, is recalling 40,000 pounds of frozen fine ground 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 today. The products subject to recall include: PREPARING GROUND BEEF FOR SAFE CONSUMPTION USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHOTLINE or visit www.fsis.usda.gov Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water. Immediately clean spills. Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Consumers should only eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160° F. Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7. The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature. Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase or one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F. Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking. 40-lb boxes containing four 10-lb chubs of fine ground beef. Each case bears “Est. 7282” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a production code of 19110. The frozen product was produced on Sept. 9, 2011, and shipped to two warehouses in Georgia for further distribution to institutions. The institutions include six school districts in Georgia associated with the National School Lunch Program. The bulk of the product has not left the warehouses and at this time, FSIS is not aware of any product having been served as part of school lunches in the districts. The problem was discovered by the company after a review of lab results that confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7 on September 22. The problem may have occurred as a result of a sample tracking error that allowed the product in question to be inadvertently shipped into commerce. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and to ensure that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160° F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature. Consumers and media with questions regarding the recall should contact the company’s Vice President, Trevor Caviness at (806) 372-5781. Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.