CHECK YOUR MEAT

MASSIVE BEEF RECALL

The United States Department of Agriculture said that they are investigating 25 reported illnesses in 8 states; Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maine, Indiana, Florida and Connecitcut.

Topps Meat Company expanded a recall of ground beef from 300,000 pounds to over 21 million pounds. This expansion makes this one of the largest meat recalls in United States history. Topps, through a press release said that the hamburger patties could contain E. coli 0157:H7; a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea as well as other serious complications.

If you have frozen beef patties in your home here are some dates and words to look for on the packaging. Topps said that products being recalled have a “sell by date” or “best if used by date” between September 25, 2007, and September 25, 2008. You can also look for “Est. 9748” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Topps recalled over 300,000 pounds of meat on Tuesday but expanded the recall today. Vice President of Operations Geoffrey Livermore said in the statement, “Because the health and safety of our consumers is our top priority, we are taking these expansive measures. Topps is continuing to work with the USDA, state departments of health, retailers and distributors to ensure the safety of our consumers. Additionally, we have augmented our internal quality control procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts. We sincerely regret any inconvenience and concerns this may cause our consumers.”

Topps set up a toll-free recall help line at (888) 734-0451.