More Beef Recalls due to E.coli

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A Colorado meat company is expanding a recall of beef due to possible contamination by E.coli O157:H7 bacteria after an investigation found 18 illnesses may be linked to the meat, the company and the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Sunday.

Greeley, Colorado-based JBS-Swift Beef Co is voluntarily expanding its June 24 recall to include about 380,000 lbs of assorted beef products, for a total recall of about 421,000 lbs, USDA and the company said.

Full article: http://bit.ly/Q35sr

Will we ever again have a period of time without some food being recalled for some contamination? I'm old enough to remember the days before big agra when you knew where your food came from and what was in it. Today? One takes ones chances when buying food.

I eat kosher meat as it is least likely to be "bad." I also try to buy as local as I can so as to help independent farms and the businesses that carry their foods. Here in Portland we are lucky that we have such places - coops, farmers markets and stores that carry locally produced food. We can also go directly to some growers to pick our own or buy directly.

Big agra does not want us to know what is in our food or where it comes from - because we would gag! It's not food anymore - it's engineered "stuff."

It's bad enough that we killed the soil and food is less nutritious than it ever was - but we contaminate it with fertilizer and who-know-what and it's literally killing us.

Guess what? Another beef recall!

From the AP

USDA Makes Nation's Largest Beef Recall

By GREG RISLING – 1 hour ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs.

Officials said it was the largest beef recall in the United States, surpassing a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small.

The recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., the federal agency said.

Full article HERE

Senator Harkin is quoted: "... marks the largest beef recall in U.S. history, and it involves the national school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition programs...this begs the question: how much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?"

Good questions - but they have been raised and no one in congress seemed to listen! We need to have food inspectors - not wars and oil profiteering [among other things]!

Another beef recall? Yup!

Is anyone in the U.S. congress wondering why there have been so many recalls of all sorts of stuff this year? Or are they too busy cozying up to the same corporations that bring you ...E. Coli!

Today's recall below - and please note the beef was produced between October 8 and 11 - Isn't it now November 3rd?

U.S. agriculture giant Cargill recalls ground beef

Sat Nov 3, 2007 11:13am EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Agricultural giant Cargill Inc. said on Saturday it is recalling over 1 million pounds of ground beef distributed in the United States because of possible E. Coli contamination.

Cargill Meat Solutions said the 1.084 million pounds (491,700 kg) of ground beef was produced at the Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, facility between October 8 and October 11, and distributed to retailers across the country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture returned a confirmed positive for the E. coli bacteria on a sample produced on October 8, the company said.

Symptoms of E. coli 0157:H7 illness, the strain associated with the recall, include potentially severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and dehydration. Children, the elderly and people with poor immune systems are the must vulnerable.

Full article HERE

Another recall - beef this time

From the New York Times

Beef Recall for E. Coli Is Expanded
ROBERT D. McFADDEN
Published: September 30, 2007

A meat company yesterday issued a nationwide recall for 21.7 million pounds of ground beef products after reports of up to 25 cases of illness caused by suspected E. coli bacteria in eight states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, federal officials reported.
The recall, by the Topps Meat Company of Elizabeth, N.J., covers a wide range of frozen hamburger patties and other products manufactured over the last year and bearing a “sell by” date or “best used by” date between last Tuesday and Sept. 25, 2008, along with the United States Department of Agriculture designation EST 9748.

Full article HERE