Ground Beef Recall 2009 Facts

Shoppers from all along the northern East Coast are being advised to check their packages of ground beef following a death in New Hampshire and several illnesses in other states.

A New Hampshire died after eating meat infected with E. coli bacteria. Several children and adults from Rhode Island also became ill at a camp in Plymouth, Mass.

A ground beef recall of more than a half-million-pounds was declared on Friday by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, N.Y.

The tainted meat was sold under a several different brand names, ranging from Acme Markets' Lancaster Brand Ground Beef and Extra Lean Ground Beef to Giant Food Meatloaf and Meatball Mix to Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Fine Quality Meats Ground Beef.

Consumers should also inspect any packages with sell-by dates of Sept. 19 through Sept. 28. The number "EST. 492" would also be located inside the USDA mark or on the nutrition label.

"Consumers who identify these products should return them to the point of purchase for a full refund," said Ron Allen, Fairbank Farms CEO.

Ground beef should always be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees to ensure that any bacteria mixed in by the grinding process will be killed.

Initially, the ground beef recall applied to just eight states...Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

Fairbank Farms has now expanded the alert, however, to include all Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.

Here is the full list of products affected by the ground beef recall, all with sell-by dates of 9-19-09 to 9-28-09 (unless specified):

Trader Joes

• 1-pound packages of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 85/15."
• 1-pound packages of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF 80/20."

NOTE: The sell-by dates for the above two products may be October 6 or 7, 2009.

• 1-pound trays of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 96/4 EXTRA LEAN."
• 1-pound trays of "TRADER JOE'S BUTCHER SHOP FINE QUALITY MEATS GROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15."

Price Chopper

• 1- and 2.5-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."
• 1-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4."
• 1-pound trays of "PRICE CHOPPER FRESH GROUND BEEF CHUCK FOR CHILI 80% LEAN 20% FAT."

Lancaster and Wild Harvest

• 1-pound trays of "LANCASTER BRAND 96/4 EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF."
• 1- and 2-pound trays of "LANCASTER BRAND 90/10 GROUND BEEF."
• 1-pound trays of "WILD HARVEST NATURAL 85/15 ANGUS GROUND BEEF."

Shaw's

• 1- and 2-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 93/7."
• 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 80/20."
• 1- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF 75/25."
• 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN BEEF PATTIES 90/10."
• 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF PATTIES 85/15."
• 1.3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES 80/20."
• 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND BEEF PATTIES FAMILY PACK 80/20."
• 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S ANGUS GROUND BEEF 85/15."
• 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND ROUND BEEF 85/15."
• 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S 90% NATURAL GROUND BEEF."
• 1-pound trays of "SHAW'S 85% NATURAL GROUND BEEF."
• 1-, 2- and 3-pound trays of "SHAW'S FRESH GROUND SIRLOIN 90/10."
• 1-pound trays of "MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."

BJ's

• 5-pound trays of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 15 % FAT" patties.
• 3- and 5-pound trays of "LEAN GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 7% FAT."
• 2.5-pound trays of "MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."

Ford Brothers

• 3-pound trays of "FRESH GROUND BEEF, CONTAINS 20% FAT" patties.

Giant

• 1-pound trays of "GIANT EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF 96/4."
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT MEATLOAF & MEATBALL MIX."
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT NATURE'S PROMISE GROUND BEEF."
• 1-pound trays of "GIANT NATURE'S PROMISE GROUND BEEF PATTIES."

More details are available at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) website here and via the official Consumer Product Safety Commission Guide (CPSC) here.

People with questions about a product can call the Fairbank Farms hotline with the number on the wrapper at 1-877-546-0122.

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Technorati Tags: Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, E Coli Bacteria, Fairbank Farms, Food Safety and Inspection Service, FSIS, Ground Beef Recall, New Hampshire, Product Recalls, Rhode Island, United States Department of Agriculture, USDA

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