May 14, 2007
A Michigan meat packer is recalling 129,000 pounds of beef because it may be contaminated with the E. coli bacteria.
The firm, Davis Creek Meats and Seafood, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, shipped the beef products between March 1 and April 30, according to USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The potentially-contaminated meat was shipped to foodservice distribution centers and Marketplace stores in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Federal safety inspectors were not involved in the discovery. Rather, the problem was uncovered by state health officials carrying out the Michigan Department of Community Healths ongoing E coli illness investigation
The affected beef products will be found in boxes bearing the number "Est. 1947A" inside the USDA mark of inspection and a date code on the top right corner of the label between "060" and "120".
The boxes also bear a net weight declaration and the message "manufactured for Gordon Food Service' or Distributed by Gordon Food Service."
Several people have reportedly been sickened from eating the tainted beef, most of them in the Midwest. All have since recovered.
E. coli exposure can produce stomach cramps and severe diarrhea, but some consumers may experience more severe symptoms. Eating contaminated food can also lead to life-threatening complications, including kidney failure.
