Hawaii Firm Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) released the following information:

Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-014-2008 HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Peggy Riek

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 - Palama Holdings, LLC, a Kapolei, Hawaii, firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 68,670 pounds of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)] 
 Preparing Ground Beef For Safe Consumption

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHOTLINE or visit www.fsis.usda.gov

Although these products are not available at retail establishments, consumers preparing ground beef products should heed the following advice.

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. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.

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. 
 
 

6- and 10-pound boxes containing 1/4-pound and 1/3-pound "May's Teriyaki Beef Patties." The boxes include a product code of "157400," "157600," or "157700," as well as a production date of "4/9/2008," "4/10/2008," "4/11/2008," "4/15/2008," "4/16/2008," "4/17/2008," "4/18/2008," or "4/21/2008." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
24-pound bulk boxes of "May's Beef Picnic Patties." The boxes will include product code "158700" as well as a production date of "4/11/2008" or "4/18/2008." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
10-pound boxes of "May's Beef Pattie, 3:1 Layer Pack." These boxes include the product code "158325" as well as a production date of "4/10/2008," or "4/17/2008." Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
3-pound trays of "May's GROUND BEEF Family Pack." The packages include the product code "410751," as well as the production date "4/16/2008." The packages also bear the establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
5- and 10-pound chubs of May's brand coarse ground and fine ground beef products. These products bear a product code of "141115," "141120," "143915", "141420," "144150," "144155," "144200," "144205," "144209," "145410," "145420," "151115," "151415," "151430", or "153220." The products will also bear a production date of "4/9/2008," "4/15/2008," "4/16/2008," "4/17/2008," "4/18/2008," or "4/21/2008."

The bulk pack chubs of ground beef products may have been distributed for further processing and therefore may not bear the recalling firm's establishment number "EST. 11077" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The ground beef products subject to recall were produced from April 9, 2008, through April 21, 2008. The products subject to recall were distributed to retail, food service establishments and commissaries in Hawaii.

The problem was discovered through company testing. FSIS has not received any reports of illness. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact company Vice President of Sales Lionel Yokoyama at (808) 682-8368. Media with questions about the recall should contact company CEO Bill Loose (808) 682-8383.

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

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.

Type of Recall:
Class I - This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.