ag-formation

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                                  Telephone (803) 734-2210
D. LESLIE TINDAL, COMMISSIONER                                        Becky Walton, Director of Public Information
P.O. Box 11280, Columbia, South Carolina 29211                                             bwalton@scda.state.sc.us
www.scda.state.sc.us


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2001

The following is a recall notice from the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) affecting South Carolina.
Please note.

*RECALL NOTIFICATION REPORT*
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE

PRODUCTS RECALLED: Ground Beef Products

PRODUCTION DATES/IDENTIFYING CODES: Produced on August 02, 2001, the products being recalled are:

Retail
* 5-pound tubes of "PURE GROUND BEEF" marked with establishment number "EST. 410" and stamped with a date code of  "SELL BY AUG/19/01." This product was distributed to retail establishments in South Carolina.

* 3 and 5-pound tubes of "KROGER GROUND BEEF," "KROGER GROUND CHUCK," and
"KROGER GROUND ROUND" marked with establishment number "EST. 410" and stamped with a date code of "SELL BY AUG/19/01." These products were distributed to retail establishments in: Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Wholesale
* "BEEF CHUCK COARSE GROUND,"
* "BEEF CHUCK FINE GROUND,"
* "BEEF ROUND COARSE GROUND,"
* "BEEF ROUND FINE GROUND,"
* "BEEF SIRLOIN COARSE GROUND,"
* "BEEF SIRLOIN FINE GROUND,"
* "GROUND BEEF COARSE GROUND," and
* "GROUND BEEF FINE GROUND"

These products are packaged in 10-pound tubes marked with establishment number "EST. 410" and stamped with a date code of "SELL BY DATE 08/19/01." The tubes are packaged in 4, 6, and 8-count cases.  The cases are marked with the sell by date and with one of the following case codes: "17000, "30000," "30200," "30400," "31300," "31900," "13800," "14000," "14300," "16600," "48500," "16900," "22400," "22500," "22800," "24000," "24100," "41300," "12000," "16400," "20300," "20400," "20500," "20600," "20700," and "20800."

Institutions
* 10-pound tubes of "GROUND BEEF FINE GROUND" marked with establishment number "EST. 410."   The tubes are packaged in 2, 4, and 8-count cases. The cases are marked with "SELL BY DATE 08/19/01" and with one of the following case codes: "09393," "82059," "60931," and "08217."

PROBLEM/REASON FOR RECALL: The product may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7.

HOW/WHEN DISCOVERED: In response to a previous retail microbiological monitoring sample that resulted in positive results for E. coli O157:H7 on August 12, 2001, FSIS collected microbiological follow-up samples on August 21, 2001, that returned positive results for E. coli O157:H7 on August 26, 2001.
 

FEDERAL ESTABLISHMENT: 00410  M
     Green Bay Dressed Beef, Inc.
     doing business as: American Foods Group
     520 Lawrence Street
     Green Bay, WI 54302

CONSUMER CONTACT: Sally Vande Hei, American Foods Group Ð Executive Assistant, 877-894-3927

MEDIA CONTACT:  National media: Jim Mulhern, a representative of Fleishman-Hillard, 202-828-8847;   Local media: Susan Finco, a representative of Leonard & Finco, 920-496-3130

QUANTITY RECALLED: Approximately 530,000 pounds

DISTRIBUTION: Nationwide

RECALL CLASSIFICATION: Class I

RECALL NOTIFICATION LEVEL: Retail/Wholesale/Institution

PRESS RELEASE: Yes

DIRECT NOTIFICATION MEANS: The firm has notified its customers orally and will follow-up in writing.

FSIS FOLLOWUP ACTIVITIES: Effectiveness checks by the FSIS, District Enforcement Operations.

OTHER AGENCIES INVOLVED: None

FSIS CONTACTS:
Compliance/Recall Coordinator: 202-418-8874
Recall Management: 202-690-6389
Media Inquiries: 202-720-9113
Congressional Inquiries: 202-720-3897
Consumer Inquiries: 1-800-535-4555
Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/recalls/rec_intr.htm

DATE OF RECALL MEETING: August 26, 2001

RECALL CASE NUMBER: 046-2001

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